‘They succeeded in globalizing the intifada’: David Frum recaps the biggest stories from a tumultuous 2025

Leading author, journalist, and thinker David Frum and The Hub’s editor-at-large Sean Speer reflect on the most significant political developments of 2025. They discuss a number of topics including the threats to Canadian sovereignty from the Trump administration, Canada’s economic reckoning after the Trudeau era, the reconciliation debate in the aftermath of major Indigenous land claim decisions, and rising global antisemitism. In the second half of the show, they discuss what to expect in 2026, from the decline of President Trump’s political power to whether Prime Carney will effectively grapple with the causes of Canadian economic underperformance over the last decade. You can listen to free versions of this episode on Amazon, Apple, and Spotify. If you liked what you heard in the first half of the program and wish to subscribe to full-length editions of In Conversation with David Frum, please consider becoming a Hub Hero. Hub Heroes also get access to all our paid content on TheHub.ca. All these benefits are conferred for one year. Sign up now! Program Summary This is an automated summary. Please check against delivery. Canada confronts an unprecedented combination of external pressures and internal reckonings as the nation grapples with fundamental questions about its economic trajectory, bilateral relationships, and social policies. The convergence of these challenges marks a distinctive moment in Canadian political history, with implications extending beyond immediate policy debates. The relationship between Canada and the United States has entered uncharted territory, moving beyond traditional trade disputes into questions of national sovereignty itself. Recent rhetoric from American political leadership has challenged the basic premise of Canadian independence in ways that differ fundamentally from previous bilateral tensions. This shift occurs against a backdrop of Canadian economic vulnerability, creating a dynamic where external pressure intersects with domestic weakness. The Canadian economy has experienced a decade of underperformance that now commands broad political consensus. With the departure of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from the political scene, acknowledgment of economic stagnation has become less partisan. The period represents one of the most disappointing economic eras in modern Canadian history, comparable in some assessments to the Great Depression in terms of missed opportunities and declining prosperity. This economic fragility directly affects Canada’s capacity to resist external pressure and maintain its position in North American affairs. Indigenous reconciliation policies have reached a critical juncture, particularly following British Columbia court decisions affecting property rights and land claims. The unraveling of claims regarding unmarked graves at residential schools has prompted broader questions about reconciliation processes. Legal frameworks that allow courts to overturn established property rights based on contested evidence create uncertainty that undermines economic development precisely when economic strength is most needed. The global landscape adds further complexity to Canadian challenges. American foreign policy has demonstrated both significant power and profound unpredictability across multiple theaters, from Ukraine to Iran to the Middle East. This combination of capability and volatility creates an unstable environment for middle powers like Canada that depend on predictable international norms. Longer-term trends continue to reshape the global context in which Canada operates. Chinese power continues its expansion, accompanied by increasingly assertive and less cooperative international behavior. Climate change persists as a chronic challenge even as more immediate crises dominate public attention. Artificial intelligence development raises fundamental questions about economic and social futures that remain unresolved despite extensive discussion. Security concerns have taken on new dimensions as incidents of violence targeting specific communities occur in allied nations. The enforcement of public order laws has become inconsistent, with different standards applied to different groups and causes. This selective enforcement creates environments where extremism can flourish and networks that enable violence can develop. The gap between minor infractions and serious crimes narrows when authorities fail to maintain consistent standards.