Rory Stewart

How can I get Trump to be rude about me?

From Rory Stewart

Q. I am running for Mayor of London, and had hoped I could get people to focus on practical questions: do you feel safer than four years ago? Is your commute better? But many seem to think the role is largely ceremonial and it is not fair to blame the current mayor when things go wrong. And many are impressed that he stood up to Trump. So my question is, how can I persuade Trump to send rude tweets about me? (If he is really rude, I might win — and thus get the chance to improve the signalling on the Piccadilly line.)

A. Voters are coming round to preferring a leader who is patently good, rather than just the enemy of someone patently bad. There is no need for a firefight with Donald Trump. Instead you can enlarge your territory by the simple expedient of ever more street and doorstep meetings with Londoners.

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