Mark Wiseman made his debut as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. this week, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. He starts the post in a complicated time for Canadian-U.S. relations, taking over from Kirsten Hillman, a stable presence and a dogged negotiator for Canada since her appointment in 2020. So what will this changing of the guard mean for Canada?

CBC’s Washington correspondents Paul Hunter, Katie Simpson and Willy Lowry take a look at what role the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. plays in Washington and how much power Wiseman and others have to actually move the needle with the Trump administration.