Quote · The Rest Is Politics: US
198. Trump's War On Europe: No Way Back?
Where this was said
How to Handle Trump: Joe Scarborough's Playbook
At 12:10 · chapter starts 9:45
Scarborough draws on a conversation he had with Paul Ryan when Ryan became Speaker, warning him that Trump hates weakness above all else. Ryan, focused on policy, didn't listen — and Scarborough shook his head. The lesson for Andy Burnham and any European leader dealing with Trump is the same: be tough. Don't bow down. When Trump insults you, let it roll off, but never capitulate. Scarborough is emphatic that flattery doesn't work — he's tried it, and it fails. What does work is the Meloni approach: stand your ground, and Trump will eventually come around, or at least privately respect you. For Burnham specifically, there's an added domestic dimension: like Republicans facing US midterms, he needs to show he actually cares about working people — which for a Labour leader may require being more pro-business than is comfortable [1] — Joe Scarborough "Weakness is fatal when dealing with Trump. Scarborough draws on 20 years of knowing Trump personally to argue that flattery doesn't work, k…" 09:45 .
Weakness is fatal when dealing with Trump. Scarborough draws on 20 years of knowing Trump personally to argue that flattery doesn't work, kowtowing doesn't work — but toughness commands respect. The proof: Giorgia Meloni.
No leader can truly secure Trump's loyalty. Scarborough's razor-sharp summary: you can't buy Donald Trump, you can only rent him — and sometimes only for 15 minutes. Any strategy built on transactional flattery is built on sand.
Giorgia Meloni was supposed to be Trump's most devoted European ally. When she pushed back publicly, Italy's far-right press ran banner headlines calling Trump an asshole — and her poll numbers soared. Defiance delivered what deference never could.
