Anthony Scaramucci, Donald Trump’s former director of communications, has a phrase that sums up his old boss’s effect on political debate: ‘the universe bends towards him’. In the US, discussion about this year’s election is all about Trump. But he is exerting the same gravitational pull in Britain, both on the Tories as they face opposition, and Labour as it mulls the likely dilemmas of government.
Trump is resentful of those who have been ‘nasty’ about him: this includes nearly everyone in the Labour party
Theresa May offers a case study in how not to deal with Trump. She hoped to befriend him and acquire some kind of post-Brexit trade deal. But her efforts yielded nothing more than excruciating photocalls (‘He ran rings around her,’ says one former government aide). Her team still grimace at the time Trump believed their phone call had been cut off, when it was still going. ‘It wasn’t pleasant,’ recalls a May era aide.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in