>>> YOU KNOW, CRITICS OF DONALD TRUMP OFTEN TALK ABOUT HIS FIRST
TERM AS A KIND OF NIGHTMARE THAT
WILL END AND THINGS WILL GO BACK
TO NORMAL AGAIN.
WHATEVER ANYONE THINKS OF THIS
UNUSUAL PRESIDENCY, THAT
ACTUALLY IMAGINES TRUMP AS
SPECIAL, A DRIVER OF EVERYTHING
RATHER THAN A SYMPTOM OF BROADER
CHALLENGES.
CHALLENGES. BUT THINK ABOUT IT.
THIS NATIONALISM, AEGED
POPULISM, XENOPHOBIA, ARISING IN
MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, ALONG
WITH DIMINISHING STANDARD FOR
WHO SHOULD EVEN HOLD HIGH
OFFICE.
OFFICE. ENGLAND JUST PICKED THIS UNUSUAL
FELLOW TO BE PRIME MINISTER, A
THOUGHT SO ABSURD HE HIMSELF
DISMISSED IT.
DISMISSED IT. >> IS THERE A POSSIBILITY YOU
COULD BECOME PRIME MINISTER?
>> I THINK THAT IS VANISHING.
ABOUT AS MUCH CHANCE OF
REINCARNATED AS AN OLIVE.
>> YOU THINK THE HAIR IS HOLDING
YOU BACK?
YOU BACK? HONESTLY.
HONESTLY. >> WELL, THE HAIR IS NOT HOLDING
HIM BACK.
HIM BACK. BORIS JOHNSON TAKING OVER AS UK
PRIME MINISTER.
PRIME MINISTER. AND MANY NOTE HIS TRUMPIAN
ECHOES.
ECHOES. SOME OF IT IS ABOUT STYLE, LIKE
LOOK AT THIS, THE HAIR.
SOME OF IT IS ABOUT BEING
CONTROVERSIAL.
CONTROVERSIAL. BOTH OF THESE LEADERS LAMBASTED
BY THEIR OWN DEDICATED BRITISH
BLIMPS.
BLIMPS. BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT AN EMERGING
POLITICAL PROJECT WITH APPEALS
TO POPULISM THAT NEED A KIND OF
GAUCHE CELEBRITY.
GAUCHE CELEBRITY. JOHNSON WASN’T TAKEN SERIOUSLY
IN THE U.S. BUT HE BUILT A BIG
FOLLOWING RIDING THE BREXIT
WAVE.
WAVE. HE ALSO WE SHOULD NOTE DID A
LOFT RACE BAITING.
HE RECENTLY INVOKED BIRTHERISM.
AND NOW SOME BRITS ARE FEELING
LIKE MANY AMERICANS DID AS
DONALD TRUMP TOOK ON THE
TRAPPINGS OF THE PRESIDENCY AS
THEY WITNESSED THIS, TODAY
JOHNSON ADDRESSING THE
PARLIAMENT.
PARLIAMENT. I’M JOINED NOW BY WHITE HOUSE
COLUMNIST FOR THE HILL, NILE
STANNIDGE.
STANNIDGE. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD SEE YOU.
>> JUST FOR CONTEXT, LET’S TAKE
IN A LITTLE BORIS OVER THE
YEARS.
YEARS. >> IT WAS ALL GOING WELL, AND
THEN NOT SO WELL.
>> THIS IS THE BEST THING.
HE PULLS DOWN THE VOLUNTEER WITH
HIM.
HIM. >> IT’S GOING WELL.
VERY, VERY WELL-ORGANIZED.
WHAT THEY DO, GET ME A LADDER.
>> SIR, I ASK YOU, WHAT IS
HAPPENING?
HAPPENING? >> WELL, I MEAN, WHEN YOU’RE
NEGOTIATING A COMPLICATED ISSUE
LIKE TRYING TO GO THROUGH WITH
BREXIT, WHAT OTHER MAN WOULD YOU
CHOOSE AS A MAN INDULGING IN
THOSE KIND OF ANTICS.
BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS POINT
HERE, ARI, AND YOU ALLUDED TO IT
IN YOUR INTRODUCTION.
BORIS JOHNSON LIKE THE
PREPRESIDENCY DONALD TRUMP HAS
BEEN DISMISSED AS A KIND OF
BUFFOON.
BUFFOON. AND SOMETIMES I THINK THE
BUFFOONERY OR THE PERCEIVED
BUFFOONERY DISTRACTS FROM THE
BELLIGERENCE HERE.
BELLIGERENCE HERE. JOHNSON HAS SAID A LOT OF NASTY
THINGS, A LOT OF RACIST THINGS,
SOME HOMOPHOBIC THINGS.
HE HAS SEIZED UPON A KIND OF
SENTIMENTAL OLD ENGLAND IMAGE,
MUCH IN THE SAME WAY OR AT LEAST
IN A PARALLEL WAY HOW PRESIDENT
TRUMP PLAYS BACK TO A SUPPOSEDLY
GOLDEN ERA IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> AND YOU MENTION THAT AND IT’S
A BIT LIKE BREXIT WAS TRUMPIAN
AS POLICY.
AS POLICY. IT WASN’T TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT IS HAPPENING APPARENTLY.
HERE IS BORIS JOHNSON ON THAT,
AGAIN, AN APPEAL TO WORKING
CLASS PEOPLE, BUT MANY HAVE
CRITICIZED THIS WILL HE BE IN
THEIR INTERESTS LONG-TERM.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> PEOPLE WHO BET AGAINST
BRITAIN ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR
SHIRTS, BECAUSE WE’RE GOING
RESTORE TRUST IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND WE’RE GOING FULFILL THE
REPEATED PROMISES OF PARLIAMENT
TO THE PEOPLE AND COME OUT OF
THE EU ON OCTOBER 31st NO IFS OR
BUTS.
BUTS. >> NOW?
>> NOW? >> WELL, I MEAN, BORIS JOHNSON
IS A BAD PERSON TO BE TALKING
ABOUT TRUST.
ABOUT TRUST. THIS IS A PERSON IN COMMON WITH
THE PRESIDENT HAS SHOWN A
DISDAIN FOR TRUTH IN HIS
POLITICAL CAREER, AND SOMETIMES
A DISDAIN FOR BASIC INDECENCY.
NOW HE DOES HAVE IN COMMON WITH
TRUMP AN ANTI-ELITE KIND OF
IMAGE.
IMAGE. IN JOHNSON’S CASE, IT’S JUST AS
PECULIAR COMING FROM A
BACKGROUND THAT INCLUDES EATON
COLLEGE, THE MOST ELITE PRIVATE
SCHOOL IN BRITAIN AND OXFORD
UNIVERSITY, AS MUCH AS IT IS
DONALD TRUMP ACTING AS A MAN OF
THE PEOPLE HAVING RESIDED IN A
GOLD TOWER FOR QUITE A FEW
YEARS.
YEARS. BUT JOHNSON HAS SEIZED ON THIS
ANTI-ELITE SENTIMENT TO HIS OWN