People don’t like to use the term ‘vibe shift’, but I suspect it will turn out to be rather more than that. Certainly, I have never known opinion to change so rapidly – almost overnight.
I’m talking about Donald Trump, or, more properly, how he is regarded. On Saturday morning, I was presenting my new Times Radio show (10 a.m. to 1 p.m., tune in, tune in, please!) and struggled to find any interviewees who might criticise Donald Trump. In a lengthy debate on World War Three, the wonderful Lord Owen (Labour, then SDP) was optimistic we would avoid conflict largely because of Trump’s presidency, and he praised Trump’s determination to provide security for his own country and his recognition of the strategic importance of Greenland and the Panama Canal. Humphrey Hawksley (Lib-Dem-ish), debating the issue with him, agreed – especially regarding Greenland.
Earlier, I had spoken to Sir Trevor Phillips (Labour) and Juliet Samuel (centre-right), and both agreed with Trump on Greenland and even more so on the Chagos Islands. Before the show, I had read a piece extolling the virtues of Trump’s adventurism by the usually amenably liberal (and always well-informed) Roger Boyes, in The Times. I remember the issue of Greenland arising during Trump’s first presidency and the overwhelming view was that he was ‘mental’. Not any more. Not on Greenland, Chagos, or his foreign policy in general.
It is a remarkable shift and should give us all grounds for great cheer. It is only six or seven months ago that people would look at me as if I were a leper for suggesting a Trump presidency might be a lot better for us and the world. Even then, I heavily caveated my remarks so as not to be considered a pariah.
This shift has not yet manifested itself in the BBC, of course…
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