The Rest Is Politics US review — the stale art of Trump-hating
Though not quite culture-bestriding political commentary superstars on the level of Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart (hosts of the namesake show The Rest Is Politics), Kay and Scaramucci command a loyal audience of Trump-transfixed British liberals. That audience — world-weary, trainer-wearing centrists — was out in force last night for The Rest Is Politics US Live. Kay and Scaramucci appeared at Indigo at the O2 in London, a smaller side theatre in the famous dome where Billie Eilish was playing the main stage. But even Eilish's tweenage obsessives would struggle to equal the levels of fan devotion from the Rest Is Politics US crowd. 'Scaramucci 2028' caps were on sale at the merch stand and the hosts were whooped and cheered on to the stage.
• Read more radio and podcast reviews
I confess to a certain bewilderment. I've never quite got the appeal of The Rest Is Politics US. Scaramucci, though clearly genial, strikes me as a bit of a blowhard. I've never felt Kay has much of shattering insight to say on US politics. Still, the fun of Trump-hating will never die. You may have thought the vein of political comedy based on remarking repeatedly on what a ludicrous man the president is with his orange hair and silly tan was exhausted half a decade ago. Not here. The audience chortled away happily as we trotted through his disgraceful antics … the tariffs! The Musk bust-up! The hair! The hair looks like a racoon, Scaramucci observed to merry guffaws. My lips nearly twitched moderately upwards at his description of the president as 'an orange Moses descending from Mount Evil'. But an excess of self-respect prevented even a half-smile from forming. I read a thousand versions of that joke on Twitter in 2016. This stuff is really pretty tired.
• Why are podcasters so fixated by Donald Trump?
As for the commentary … well, we learnt that 'Trump has got Europeans to take defence spending seriously', that hosting Trump for a state visit may make him feel warmly towards Britain and that by cutting USAID Elon Musk's Doge unit has damaged American soft power. Why anyone would fight their way to the O2 through hordes of marauding Eilish fans on a sticky July evening to hear such lukewarm insights is beyond me. Such are the mysteries of podcasts.
Rather more tenuously Scaramucci thinks Trump's havering on Ukraine can be explained by the fact Putin has kompromat of a sexual nature on the American president. To me this is sheer conspiracism but at the O2 I'm in a minority. 'Raise your hands if you think Putin's got something on Trump,' Scaramucci says and a forest of eager arms appears. 'It's not a pee-pee tape,' Scaramucci opines confidently. 'Trump could survive a pee-pee tape.'
At one point Scaramucci says of Trump, 'He's a really bad guy, ladies and gentlemen.' This stunningly original observation is greeted with cheers and applause. It's just so easy. As long as Trump remains in the White House, the podcasters are safe.
★★☆☆☆
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Watch: Reeves backs Trump visit to Scotland ‘in the public interest'
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says Donald Trump 's upcoming visit to Scotland is 'in the public interest.' 'It's in Britain 's national interest to have strong relations with the US administration,' Reeves told press during a visit to a Rolls-Royce factory in Glasgow on Friday (25 Jul). 'And as a result of both that long-term special relationship, [it] has meant that we were the first country in the world to secure a trade deal,' she added. Trump will land in Scotland on Friday at the start of a four-day visit which will include meetings with First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Daily Mail
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mail
Trump says he was never briefed on his name being in Epstein files
President Donald Trump on Friday denied ever being briefed by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name was in the Jeffrey Epstein files. 'No, I was never briefed. No,' he told reporters after he landed in Scotland to visit his golf courses. But Bondi briefed Trump during a May 2025 meeting that his name was found in the Epstein documents 'multiple times,' according to reports. Other high-profile individuals are also named in the investigation about Epstein's [sexual] crimes. Just because the president is named in the files does not implicate him in any wrongdoing or connect him to Epstein's child [sexual] trafficking crimes. The Wall Street Journal originally broke the news of Bondi's briefing to Trump. The Justice Department told the news outlet that Trump was made aware of the findings of the Epstein files as part of the 'routine briefing.' Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly said that nothing was found in the files that would mandate an additional investigation - or even prosecution. 'As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings,' they told the Journal. White House communications director Steven Cheung slammed the report as 'fake news' in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about,' he said when the report came out earlier this week. But, try as he might, Trump cannot move on from questions about Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting charges related to [sexual] crimes. His death, ruled to be a suicide, sparked endless conspiracy theories that questioned how he may have really died and who among the rich and powerful would have benefitted from it. The most recent questions came as Ghislaine Maxwell, the only person currently behind bars for Epstein's child [sexual] trafficking ring, wrapped a second day of meetings with the Justice Department. Maxwell, 63, appears to be angling for a pardon from the president after she 'didn't hold back' during secret questioning session. Her attorney David Oscar Markus claimed that she spoke with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about '100 different people' related to Epstein's child [sexual] trafficking ring. 'They asked about every possible thing you could imagine – everything,' Markus claimed. He also said Maxwell is being used as the 'scapegoat' in the entire Epstein case and has been 'treated unfairly for the last five years.' Her attorney said that they had not put in a formal request with the White House for a pardon for Maxwell following the conclusion of Day 2 of questioning. But Markus didn't rule out taking that action in the future, saying 'things are happening so quickly.' 'The president said earlier he has the power to do so, we hope he exercises that power in the right way,' he said of a potential commutation. Trump refused to rule out invoking his presidential pardon powers for Maxwell when asked on Friday morning. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I haven't thought about,' he said. But, asked again about the matter later Friday, Trump, meanwhile, declined to talk about Maxwell and said 'this is no time to be talking about pardons.' 'I really have nothing to say about it. She is being talked to by a very smart man, a very good man, Todd Blanche. And I don't know anything about the conversation. I haven't really been following it,' he said. 'A lot of people are asking me about pardons. This is no time to be talking about pardons. But a lot of people have asked about pardons. This is just not the time to be talking about it,' he added.
Scotsman
a minute ago
- Scotsman
Donald Trump touches down in Scotland and raises prospect of trade deal breakthrough
US President Donald Trump has arrived at Prestwick Airport. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Donald Trump raised the prospect of agreeing a trade deal with the UK, and urged European countries to 'get your act together' on migration and 'stop the windmills', as he touched down in Scotland amid heavy security. Air Force One, carrying the US President, landed at Prestwick Airport at 8.28pm on Friday with Mr Trump greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray. Mr Trump then was taken by his armoured car, known as The Beast, to his Turnberry golf resort on the Ayrshire coast. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Donald Trump touches down at Prestwick Airport | Lisa Ferguson / The Scotsman Ahead of his trip to Scotland, the US President indicated he and Sir Keir Starmer could 'approve' the US-UK trade deal when the two leaders meet. Speaking to journalists after disembarking from Air Force One, Mr Trump said: 'We're going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even approve it.' Hundreds of people gathered beside the runway at Prestwick Airport ahead of Mr Trump's arrival, many having waited all day to get a glimpse of the arrival of the world's most famous man. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But there were no protests to greet the US President's arrival in Scotland as onlookers clapped and cheered as Air Force One touched down, with a couple of Trump and MAGA flags and hats dotted amongst the crowds. Big protests are expected during Mr Trump's visit to Scotland over the coming days. European countries need to 'get your act together' on migration, and 'stop the windmills', Donald Trump insisted, as he arrived in Ayrshire. Air Force One has landed at Prestwick Airport with US President Donald Trump | Lisa Ferguson / The Scotsman He added: 'You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds, and if they're stuck in the ocean, ruining your oceans. 'Stop the windmills, and also, I mean, there's a couple of things I could say, but on immigration, you'd better get your act together or you're not going to have Europe anymore.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Trump praised Sir Keir as 'a good man' and confirmed they will be meeting on Saturday. Speaking to reporters as he arrived at Prestwick, the US president said: 'I like your Prime Minister, he's slightly more liberal than I am – as you probably heard – but he's a good man. He got a trade deal done. 'You know, they've been working on this deal for 12 years, he got it done – that's a good deal, it's a good deal for the UK.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Trump also claimed that illegal migration was an 'invasion' which was 'killing Europe'. The Scotch Whisky Association have called on the Prime Minister to 'seize the moment' in meeting the US President and thrash out a deal with Mr Trump to ditch his controversial tariffs on Scotch whisky. In April Mr Trump introduced a 10 per cent import tariff on UK goods, including whisky, entering the US. Donald Trump has landed at Prestwick Airport | Getty Images Ahead of his visit, Mr Trump has said he is looking forward to meeting Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who he is expected to meet as well as the Prime Minister. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Trump will visit both of the golf clubs he owns in the country – Turnberry in South Ayrshire and Menie, near Aberdeen, in the coming days. Before boarding the presidential plane Air Force One to fly to Scotland, he told journalists: 'The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him.' He also said he has a 'lot of love' for Scotland. Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Swinney said the meeting will be 'an opportunity to 'essentially speak out for Scotland' on international issues such as Gaza, as well as trade and the increase of business from the United States in Scotland. First Minister John Swinney | Getty Images 'There are clearly also significant international issues upon which the people of Scotland have a view and want to have that view expressed by their First Minister,' he said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That relates to the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering that is going on in Gaza. 'I want to make sure that those concerns and those views are expressed to the president of the United States. 'We have that opportunity, and I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard.' Mr Swinney also urged all of those set to protest against the president's visit to do so 'peacefully and to do so within the law'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The US President and Sir Keir are poised to be at odds over the future of energy - with Mr Trump calling on the UK to revive the Aberdeen oil and gas sector, while the Prime Minister has upset the industry by extending the windfall tax on fossil fuels companies and vowing to end new licences in the North Sea. Crowds awaited the arrival of Donald Trump in Prestwick | Lisa Ferguson / The Scotsman Ahead of the Prime Minister meeting President Trump earl next week, the CEO of energy industry body, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), David Whitehouse, has written to Sir Keir, welcoming him on his 'first visit to Aberdeen - Europe's energy capital -since becoming Prime Minister more than a year ago'. Mr Whitehouse has stressed that as Sir Keir meets Mr Trump, 'the whole world will be watching'. He added: 'The simple thing we are asking you to do is agree that homegrown energy is best. If we are going to use oil and gas, let us produce it here in the UK - responsibly, alongside an accelerated rollout of renewables. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are asking for a pragmatic conversation about the future of the North Sea which recognises and prioritises homegrown energy. The outcomes of consultations on licensing, future taxes and the wider North Sea are of national importance. 'We invite you to visit our members and hear directly from those whose futures are at stake. We are committed to your government's ambition to kickstart growth. The world is watching, and we have much to offer. 'A modern industrial Britain should be built on proud industries like ours. Support homegrown energy. Secure the future of the North Sea.' But campaigners have insisted that Mr Trump's position on oil and gas and 'repeated attacks' on offshore renewables 'reveal how wildly out of step he is with the people of Scotland, the UK and most of the world'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift added: 'Why on earth would Scotland forego some of the best wind resources on the planet and abandon an industry that is vital to replacing declining oil and gas jobs?
