Scott Lucas: Trump’s Incompetence is Bad for America But Great for China, The EU and The Rest of The World

Scott sees China as pursuing long-term economic influence while signalling that rivalry need not lead to conflict, despite President Xi Jinping’s repeated references to the “Thucydides Trap” in his speeches directed at Trump. That stood in contrast to Trump’s focus on strongman appearances and political spectacles.

We also discussed Trump’s rhetoric about inviting Iran to bomb Los Angeles and San Diego, killing millions of fellow Americans, and the crowd’s shocking celebratory reaction. What unsettled me was how easily talk of violence against Americans could become rally entertainment.

Scott argued that this kind of spectacle rewards loyalty over judgment and risks making extreme behaviour feel normal. In fact, this could be seen as Trump’s biggest success over the past decade: the normalisation of hatred of the other.

Turning to Europe, I asked whether it could become a stronger, more independent force. Scott emphasised the EU’s urgent need for resilience, strengthening areas such as technology, manufacturing, and transport, rather than simply trying to outcompete the U.S. or China.

We also considered how Brexit weakened cooperation between the UK and Europe, and how difficult rebuilding those ties can be, even though they are critical for the future of both the UK and the EU.

Our conversation ended with a concern about what comes after Trump and the people shaping the movement around him. Scott described a political project that talks about dominance while weakening the institutions needed to govern effectively. It is the failure of Trump’s conflicting, multifaceted presidency.

Join the conversation and tell us whether democratic systems can withstand this damage, and whether competence and resilience can matter more than slogans in the post-MAGA world.