Trump’s Public Execution Order and Burnham’s Brexit Intervention

Rory Stewart (0:07)

Welcome to The Rest Is Politics with me, Rory Stewart.

Alastair Campbell (0:11)

And with me, Alastair Campbell. And Rory, we're going to talk lots about America, lots about Saudi and Yemen, India, and we will also have a discussion about our interview with Andy Burnham and the political consequences thereof, which appear to have dominated life in the House of Commons yesterday.

But let's kick off with your friend Donald Trump.

Rory Stewart (0:31)

Well, it's been quite a week, hasn't it? This is the week in which Donald Trump failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize and told Norway that there would be consequences. This is the week in which his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has announced that he intends to hold a public execution, making the United States one of very few countries along, I think, with Iran and Afghanistan that still wants to do public executions. This is the week in which Marco Rubio stood down in front of the Parthenon on the Paniks at the Acropolis and made a great claim for the superiority of Western civilization, inviting Europe to join America in its civilizational project.

I think it's also the week in which we've seen, again, the extraordinary move of Trump to announce that diesel restrictions will be lifted on Putin after, I think, a 90-minute call with Putin, massively helping the Russian economy, making probably a much smaller contribution to the American economy ahead of the midterms, seriously weakening Ukraine and when Zelensky complained saying, well, they should get rid of Zelensky and get another president in.

I'm interested in this because this is just a seven-day period, and I think we're moving now from what might be called Trump Derangement Syndrome to Trump Reality Syndrome, and really getting people to sit with what this is. One of the things that you and I often encounter when we talk to business people, particularly American business people, is that there are still a remarkable number of people out there wanting to be contrarian and saying he's not as bad as everyone makes out, and it's all going to be fine, and there's no reason to react in any radical way to this. I just would like us to sit with the last six days as a way of reminding people just how serious this is. Over to you. This episode is powered by Fuse Energy.

Alastair Campbell (2:19)

Most energy companies are counting on you doing absolutely nothing, not questioning what you're paying, not switching, just letting your tariff roll on, which is costing you hundreds of pounds every year.

Rory Stewart (2:30)

But the apathy goes deeper than our bills. We've almost given up on energy itself.

We seem to all be accepting energy is expensive, the system's outdated, but that complacency is costing us.

Alastair Campbell (2:41)

Fuse Energy does not accept that because the energy transition is not something that just happens somewhere else.

Rory Stewart (2:48)

Fuse is building an energy company which is designed to bring down the cost of energy, and right now its tariffs are up to a hundred pounds below the off-gem price cap.

Alastair Campbell (2:58)

So switching isn't just about paying less, it's about expecting more from your energy company, and it only takes you three minutes.

Rory Stewart (3:05)

Switch to Fuse at fuseenergy.com/politics. Use the code POLITICS and you'll get a free Trip Plus subscription allowing you to hear all the extraordinary members' content that Alastair and I are now producing for you. Visit fuseenergy.com for full terms and conditions.

This episode is brought to you by NordVPN.

Alastair Campbell (3:27)

I must thank NordVPN because on my Grand European Tour with Fiona, I was away from the Hawthorns for West Bromwich against Burnley, but I managed to watch it. There you go.

Rory Stewart (3:40)

I actually had a NordVPN thank you. I was in the new Starbucks here in Creef, and of course, the thing flashed up saying this is an unsecured public network. I was able to go to my VPN and it was a little reminder of something we often forget when we're all those cafes and things, which is actually genuinely people can do all kinds of weird cyber attacks and spying if you don't have a virtual private network when you're sitting in that Starbucks.

Alastair Campbell (4:03)

Well, I think, are you not already proud of me that I managed to do this, or should I say Fiona managed to do this?

Rory Stewart (4:10)

I'm incredibly proud of you. That's a tech transformation. So to get the best discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com/rest Is Politics. That's nordvpn.com/rest Is Politics. And the link is in the episode description.