WITH disgraced former US president Donald Trump recently winning the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, the feeling is growing that, despite the 91 criminal indictments against him, it’s almost inevitable he will be the Republican candidate in this November’s presidential election.
In the states, the usual suspects are already queueing to kiss Trump’s ring — the likes of Senator Tim Scott and repellent failed candidate for the Republican nomination toadying pharma millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
Three quislings
So far, so unexpected, but in Britain we have been treated to the odious spectacle of three senior Tories already fawning over the prospect of a second Trump term, namely the “quisling three” of fallen prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, together with cosplaying Victorian head boy Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Rishi Sunak has so far maintained a Lord Halifax-style neutrality, but given his famed lack of spine, expect some honeyed words thrown Trump’s way if he becomes the official Republican nominee for president.
What have the three fellow travellers said so far? Johnson, nauseating as ever, proclaimed in the Daily Mail, “There is every chance, under Trump, that the West will be stronger, and the world more stable, what the world needs now is a US leader whose willingness to use force and sheer unpredictability is a major deterrent to the enemies of the West.”
The oafish ex-PM declared that he liked Trump’s supposed “style,” and denied the credibly-accused-of-rape candidate’s ambitions towards dictatorship, adding for good measure that, “In the cocktail parties of Davos, I am told, the global wokerati have been trembling so violently that you could hear the ice tinkling in their negronis.”
Johnson recently offered his services in the event of war with Russia, although considering his well-documented inability to use an umbrella, propensity to seek shelter in fridges to dodge the press and yellow-livered avoidance of censure/inconvenient votes in Parliament, such services are probably of limited value at best.
As for lettuce-brained Truss, the 49-day wonder of British politics, her take on the return of The Donald was, “The world would benefit from more of that kind of US leadership today, I hope that a Republican will be returned to the White House in 2024. There must be conservative leadership in the US that is once again bold enough to call out hostile regimes as evil and a threat.”
Previously the impressively eloquent Truss had said that Trump was, “very good” and “very nice,” while he stated in response: “I think very highly of Liz Truss.”
Rees-Mogg chimed in recently with his twopennorth, telling ITV, “I would rather have Donald Trump than President Biden.
“I think Donald Trump is better disposed towards the United Kingdom, I think President Biden has shown his dislike for the United Kingdom throughout his presidency and that’s been very unfortunate and unhelpful to whatever you make of the special relationship.”
In the event Trump and (as is likely) Keir Starmer win, will the new New Labour also bend the knee — perhaps following Tony Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell’s foul-mouthed injunction to Christopher Meyer, British ambassador to the US, “Get up the arse of the White House and stay there.”
Maybe Blair, in an act of poetic justice, can be assigned the task of inserting himself up Trump’s backside.
Assume the position
In the event of a Trump victory, closer British ties to the EU would seem entirely logical, but whether Starmer will risk Brexiteer anger is another matter.
