Donald Trump is accused of lying, but it is his truthfulness that really angers people

I had been looking forward to President (that STILL sounds odd) Trump's visit to Great Britain for months. Everyone has, I imagine, except Theresa May and her colleagues.

He sometimes disappoints, but his visit to Britain has already proven to be a virtuoso performance. He is what the world badly needs, a troll of genius. 

But it is not about 'the great cause of cheering us all up', though he does cheer up many conservatives. It is about changing the world.

Because the world exists in people's minds and is shaped by discourse. President Trump's great achievement has been to change the previously narrow limits on permissible discourse, the previously very cramped Overton window.


His interview in today's Sun is very significant. The most important passage is where he said

“Don’t forget, essentially I’m a product of the European Union, between Scotland and Germany. Right? My father Germany, my mother Scotland. So I have great love for countries in Europe. I think what's happened to Europe is a shame. I think the immigration, allowing the immigration to take place in
Europe is a shame. I think it changed the fabric of Europe. And unless you act very quickly, it's never going to be what it was and I don't mean that in a positive way. So I think allowing millions and millions of people to come in to Europe is very, very sad. I think you are losing your culture.

People in Europe, as he knows, conservatives but also liberals and socialists, are extremely worried about mass immigration, but pitifully afraid to say so.

What he said so far on his visit to Europe has been obviously true and this is why the international political/administrative class gets so very angry.  

As the old law books said, 

'The greater the truth the greater the libel.'

Here are some more excerpts from his interview.

Trump On … Theresa May and Brexit

DONALD TRUMP: I would have done it much differently, I actually told Theresa May how to do it, but she didn't agree, she didn't listen to me.

SUN REPORTER: What did you say?

DONALD TRUMP: She didn't listen. No I told her how to do it. That will be up to her say.

But I told her how to do it. She wanted to go a different route.

SUN REPORTER: So you would be prepared to walk away if they didn't give you the right terms?

DONALD TRUMP: Oh absolutely. I think what is going on is very unfortunate. Too long.

You know, deals that take too long are never good ones.

SUN REPORTER: What did you mean about the UK being in turmoil --

DONALD TRUMP: When a deal takes so long it's somehow ... they never work out very well. I did give Theresa, who I like, I did give her my views on what she should do and how she should negotiate. And she didn't follow those views. I would actually say she probably went the opposite way. If you really look, she probably went the opposite way. And that's fine. She should negotiate the best way she knows how. But it's too bad what is going on.

Trump On… Future UK-US Deals after Chequers

DONALD TRUMP: Well I think the deal that she is striking is not what the people voted on. It's a much different deal than the people voted on. It was not the deal that was in the Referendum. I've just been hearing this over the last three days. I guess you've been just hearing about it over the last three days. I know they have had a lot of resignations.

So a lot of people don't like it. No, but it will definitely affect trade with the United States, unfortunately in a negative way.

Trump On… Boris Johnson

DONALD TRUMP: Let me tell you, he is a very talented guy. I was very saddened to see that he was leaving government and I hope he goes back in at some point because Ithink he is a very ... I think he is a great representative for your country. I was very surprised and saddened that he was getting out of government and you lost some other very good people. Well I am not pitting one against the other. I'm just saying I think he would be a great prime minister. I think he's got what it takes and I think he's got the right attitude to be a great prime minister.

Trump on Defence

Sun Reporter: On Britain’s defence spending Jim Mattis wrote to his counterpart in the UK to say, ‘It is no longer good enough for the UK to be spending just 2%. You are our major ally you need to considerably increase it above 2%.’ Do you agree with that?

DONALD TRUMP: I agree with that one hundred percent. Two percent is not enough, two percent and some countries don't pay that and yet the United States pays 4.2% is the actual number, not three and a half. It's 4.2% of a much larger GDP. In fact the GDP since I've taken over had doubled and tripled so it is a very unfair number. No I think, I am very impressed that he sent that letter. I think that is an exact right letter.