For US president Donald Trump’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in 2019, 100,000 people turned up on the streets of London to protest. In 2025? It was 5,000. I would not take this as evidence enough alone of his rehabilitation in the popular consciousness – we can only divine so much about the world by how activists behave – but it is a robust start.
“Is Donald Trump cool, actually?” asked GQ magazine earlier this year. In 2023, the Financial Times vaunted his “irresistible comedic value”. There is a shift happening. It is detectable in trace amounts in the liberal media – even the Atlantic and the New York Times demonstrate flashes. You may notice it in casual conversation.
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.