Manitoba taps former White House correspondent Richard Madan to lead Washington trade office

Manitoba has opened a permanent office in Washington, D.C., and hired a former White House news correspondent to lead trade and economic discussions down south.

Richard Madan, a former reporter for CTV and CBC, has been tapped to lead the office starting immediately, the province said in a Tuesday news release.

The D.C. trade office, which Premier Wab Kinew first promised last December, is intended to strengthen Manitoba's ties with U.S. lawmakers, industry leaders and trade officials, as well as ensuring Manitoba's interests are protected in agreements such as a renewed Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, Kinew said in the news release.

Kinew previously said he wanted the person leading the trade office to intimately understand Manitoba's economic strategy, represent the province's values and "speak the language" of the Trump administration.

Madan spent more than two decades as a journalist covering American and Canadian politics, including as a White House correspondent, and Kinew said he has deep ties with major figures in the U.S. capital that will help Manitoba in trade talks.

"I've covered Washington for almost a decade, so I know the players," Madan told CBC News on Tuesday. 

"I've got a fairly decent Rolodex, and my role is to just be a facilitator [and] help get those meetings that could potentially lead to something lucrative down the road."

While U.S. lawmakers are familiar with other Canadian jurisdictions, "a lot of them might not know where Manitoba is," said Madan, adding part of his mission is to "unlock and sell what Manitoba has to offer" to American industry and political leaders by building awareness.

"It's a province I love. It's where my career started, and I know what it has to offer," he said.

Madan is meeting with local business owners, labour representatives and government officials in Manitoba this week, including former premier Gary Doer, Manitoba's adviser on Canada-U.S. relations, the province said.

Manitoba's 2025 budget included $800,000 for the Washington office, which will provide funds for office space, salaries and administrative support, the province said. The trade office was initially recommended by the premier's business and jobs council.

Madan said the province is still deciding where the physical office in Washington should be located, adding that although the Canadian embassy would be the most logical option, it would be more costly.