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- [00:38]
Georgina Godwin
You're listening to the Globalist, first broadcast on 16th September 2025 on Monocle Radio. The Globalist in association with UP hello, this is the Globalist broadcasting to you live from Midori House in London. I'm Georgina Godwin on the show ahead.
- [01:17]
Simone Bouvier
The trip to UK is going to be incredible. They've never done it before.
- [01:21]
Georgina Godwin
Twice honored Britain rolls out the red carpet for Donald Trump today as he begins his second state visit. Journalist Michael Wolff, who's been tracking him for years, tells us what to expect then. Is Syria's first election since Assad's fall a real step towards democracy or just another managed performance? We'll investigate. We'll rustle through the papers and have a hit of business news with Vicky Price. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tells us what the prospect of federal forces means for America's city halls.
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Theo Usherwood
Plus, we dedicate this win to our.
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Quinton Lucas
Brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindur.
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Theo Usherwood
As they continue to inspire us all, we'll try our best whenever given an opportunity to inspire them as well. If possible.
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Georgina Godwin
No handshake in Dubai. India and Pakistan's cricket clash ends in cold shoulders raising questions about sports diplomacy. And Paris pulls up a chair. 577 seats take centre stage at Design Weekly, with bidders jostling for a place at the table. That's all ahead here on the Globalist, live from London. First, a look at what else is happening in the news. Donald Trump claims a US strike sank a Venezuelan boat in international waters, killing three men, though no proof has been offered it was carrying drugs. Japan's ruling party leadership race is heating up after the prime minister's resignation, with multiple contenders now vying to succeed him. And Vietnamese airline Vietjet is set to take delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max jet on Sunday, more than nine years after the order was placed. Do stay tuned to Monocle Radio throughout the day for more on those stories. But first, US President Donald Trump arrives in Britain today for a state visit, rich in pageantry but fraught with politics. Lord Peter Mandelson has just been forced out as UK Ambassador to Washington after his links to Jeffrey Epstein came to light, leaving Prime Minister Keir Starmer exposed And desperate to keep that scandal off the agenda. There are trade deals and tariffs on the table, tension over Palestine, flag waving, nationalist protests in Britain with Elon Musk fanning the flames and right wing reform leader Nigel Farage circling too. So how will this visit play out? Well, to help us understand the man at the centre, I'm joined now by Michael Wolff, journalist and author of all or Nothing How Trump Recaptured America and host of the podcast Inside Trump's Head with Joanna Coles on the Daily Beast. Michael, it's really wonderful to have you here in the studio at Midori House. Is this visit diplomacy or theatre for Donald Trump? How important really is Britain to him given his America first agenda?
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Michael Wolff
Yeah, you know, it's not that important. It is theater. You know, I think there are some people around Donald Trump and there are many people in the United Kingdom that they can gain some diplomatic usefulness and some diplomatic edge. How much is that on Donald Trump's mind? Not too much. I think for him it's good press. It's anything to do with British royalty is a plus for Donald Trump. And along the way, he's certainly willing to accept any flattery and obeisance that might come to him and perhaps trade some positive diplomatic edge for that.
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Georgina Godwin
So Peter Mandelson's sacking leaves Keir Starmer very exposed. And I wonder in terms of the fact that people do need to flatter Trump and not bring that up, can it really be kept out of this visit?
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Michael Wolff
Well, no. I mean, I think the Epstein story is dogging Donald Trump. And just one more aspect, that wherever he goes, there is the Epstein story. So I assume that the Prime Minister is not going to bring this up with Donald Trump. You know, hey, what do you think of that old Epstein? I don't think that's gonna, Geez, that Epstein did it again. I don't think that is ob going to happen. But I think it's just another reminder that wherever you go, there is Jeffrey Epstein, there is the story knocking on Donald Trump's door.
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Georgina Godwin
And if he has a big press conference, which he likes to do, I mean, British journalists will bring it up.
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Michael Wolff
Yeah, I mean, there's so many aspects, British aspects of this story. Ghislaine Maxwell, obviously. But you know, Trump is, there's nobody better at talking over a question or lecturing why that's a, why that question should not be asked. And I'm sure, you know, his defense, his Epstein defense has been to attack anyone who brings this up. And in many cases now more and more he sues People who bring it up. So I think Donald Trump in any news conference can handle himself.
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Georgina Godwin
Trade and tech deals are being signed, we're told. Do they matter as much as the show around them? Are they more of benefit to Britain than to the United States?
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Michael Wolff
Yeah, no, I mean, I think surely they're of greater benefit to the uk, But I think it's another aspect that people are trying to. People around, you know, in the UK and even in the US are trying to use this for some positive purpose. But at the center of this, the real reason for this is again, the glorification of Donald Trump.
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Georgina Godwin
We've seen nationalist flag protests here in Britain and Elon Musk piling in on this. Why is he so keen to amplify this nationalist anger here in this country? What's it to him?
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Michael Wolff
You know, I don't know. I mean, I think that's a hard one. I mean, it's hard to know, you know, Elon. Why Elon does. What Elon does is hard to understand, possibly hard because none of us are on our way to being the first trillionaires in history. So he may occupy a different, a slightly different headspace than many of us. But I also think that he believes that there is. That this right wing imperative is the future, that this movement is powerful, it's longstanding, it's transformational, and he has signed on with it.
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Georgina Godwin
Nigel Farage and his Reform Party appear to be gaining popularity in the uk And I wonder how instrumental Donald Trump and to an extent, Musk are responsible for this.
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Michael Wolff
Well, I think not entirely. I think this is a movement not just in the US and the uk, but in other Western countries also. But having said that, I think everybody sees Donald Trump and he provides a model and he provides a motivation. And for, you know, Farage, he's provided support and tutelage. The last big visit here, when Trump came to the uk, I was here with Steve Bannon, who was, among other things, tutoring Nigel Farage.
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Georgina Godwin
What's Trump's priority on this trip? What does he want?
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Michael Wolff
He wants what he always wants, to be at the center of attention. I mean, he doesn't think much further than that.
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Georgina Godwin
So when the visit ends, do you expect to see a strengthened UK US relationship, or does Britain risk just becoming a backdrop in Trump's culture wars rather than having any kind of serious diplomatic exchange?
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Michael Wolff
Yeah, I think the latter, but I think that that's been the course of the UK since for quite a while now. I think it predates Donald and probably Tony Blair was the last Prime Minister that anyone in the US quite remembers.
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Georgina Godwin
As this visit unfolds. It begins today. He's here for a few days. Is there anything in particular we should be watching for?
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Michael Wolff
You know, you just have to keep your eye on Donald Trump. You just never know what he's going to do. I mean, he canhe can lash out, he can lecture, he cani mean he is in that way also utterly transparent. You'll absolutely know what he's feeling and thinking at any given moment.
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Georgina Godwin
I wonder how much of a political risk it is then for Keir Starmer.
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Michael Wolff
It's a risk. You know, Starmer has played this in a, you know, by a very clear playbook. Flatter, flatter, flatter, suck, suck, suck, kiss, kiss, kiss. And that, so far, I think, has kept the game going. I wouldn't necessarily say it has paid off, but has kept them in the game. But that could change on a dime.
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Georgina Godwin
Michael Wolff, thank you very much indeed. That was Michael Wolff, journalist and author of all or How Trump Recaptured America. He's also host of Inside Trump's Head with Joanna Coles on the Daily Beast. And this is the Globalist Foreign. Well, let's continue now with today's newspapers. And joining me is Theo Usherwood, political journalist and broadcaster. Theo, it's lovely to have you here in the studio with us. Michael Wolf was talking about Donald Trump's visit here to the, to the uk and of course, it's something that's captured the headlines across Britain. What is the general consensus? What are the papers saying about Trump's second visit here?
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Theo Usherwood
It is an unprecedented second state visit and of course, it comes off the back of Keir Starmer's visit to the White House earlier this year, where he presented a letter with great fanfare from King Charles to invite Donald Trump. And of course, since then, Keir Starmer's own fortunes have gone from middling to pretty dire, both in the polls and now with the departure of a third senior member of his government, this time an aide who had sent WhatsApp messages, deeply inappropriate and explicit WhatsApp messages, the Labour left wing MP Diane Abbott. And so the papers, the way they're covering it this morning, if you look right across the British press is through the prism of Keir Starmer's own troubles. So the Daily Telegraph leads with a headline that Trump is going to go easy on Keir Starmer. Very cognizant of the fact the paper's reporting of the Prime Minister's own troubles. And to think, you might think that might just state the Obvious. But of course, with Donald Trump, it doesn't. You think back to his visit with Mrs. Theresa May when she was Prime Minister, and he made the point in the RO when he was up at Chequers giving a press conference, that she hadn't listened to his advice about how to do Brexit and that if he had listened to his advice, then she would have fared much better. When he last met Keirse, or one of his most recent meetings with Keir Starmer, he said the Prime Minister needed to focus on cutting immigration, you know, reducing immigration and cutting tax. It is a clear dig that he didn't, that whilst he's had a fairly cordial relationship with Keir Starmer, he didn't think that his political agenda was up to muster. So in. There is a. This state visit always comes with a possibility. With Donald Trump, it always comes with a possibility that there is some blow up or there is some moment where the other principal, the other head of state is cut or Prime Minister is cut right down to size. And this is through the context of the way the papers are looking at it. You know, Keir Starmer has got this incredibly important visit now from Donald Trump. He'd had his relaunch, which has gone at the beginning of the month, which has just completely imploded, and now he needs to try and salvage something over the next few days.
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Georgina Godwin
I mean, it's going to be on a knife edge, really.
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Theo Usherwood
It's an impossible situation for Keir Starmer. He's fighting one fire, he thinks he's put it out and then another one blows up. And this is, you know, with Donald Trump visiting, it's very difficult to see, you know, how he gets through the next three days without incident.
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Georgina Godwin
Of course, the big global fire that everybody is fighting at the moment is what's happening in Eastern Europe. So NATO is responding with unity and strength to Russian threats. That's John Healey speaking, quoted in the Guardian, which carries this story about RAF jets will shoot down Russian drones over Poland. This is really a significant development.
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Theo Usherwood
It is. It is a significant development. John Healey was on a visit to the west of England, near Swindon, to a disused industrial site that's now going to be turned into a factory for a defence factory for a private, private firm. And he made the comment that British Typhoon jets, as part of the NATO mission, supporting both Polish jets and Dutch jets, will be prepared to shoot down Russian drones flying over Poland, because Poland, of course, is a NATO country. A clear message, of course, from the very highest echelons of the British government to Moscow that they're not prepared to tolerate any incursion into NATO airspace. And I think the import factor within all of this is that, you know, John Healey is sending out a message that whatever Donald Trump might be trying to do in negotiating a peace or trying to broker a peace between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, that regardless, you know, and there's been some equivocation from the White House over the recent months about America's support for the NATO alliance, Britain is prepared to do what is necessary to ensure that the integrity of NATO airspaces is uphel. And yes, it is significant. And I think it just the worrying, if there is a worrying or concerning aspect to this, of course it is that this opens up the possibility, I think, for something going wrong. And we're seeing, you know, a significant escalation off the back of this that were we're talking about an unmanned drone. What does that mean? If there is a Russian jet that is manned, are we going to shoot that? You know, a British Typhoon is going to shoot that down. Now it now it feels like, you know, it feels like a Rubicon's been crossed. We're prepared to act and Britain is prepared to act. That, I think is something that is to be broadly welcomed, but it doesn't come without significant risk.
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Georgina Godwin
Absolutely. I mean, that makes Britain a legitimate target if it is going after Britain. Let's have a look at Charlie Kirk. Now, of course, this was the right wing activist who was assassinated in America. And the White House plans to crack down on liberal groups following this killing. Now this is from the New York Times. Trump had a clear decision here. He could have calmed the situation and instead what he's doing is going after the left. Although there is no evidence at this point that the assassin was of the left. Indeed, his father is a Republican.
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Theo Usherwood
Yes, the Republican governor of Utah. By the way, Spencer Costa said that the suspect in this case had a leftist ideology. That's true, but that he acted alone. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the president, has said that this is part of a coordinated. The suspect was part of a coordinated movement that was tormenting violence against the conservative, against conservatives. The New York Times is reporting and he's using it, the paper says, to crack down on antifa or any left wing groups as enabling them as domestic terrorists and bringing racketeering cases against people, funding protests. In the wake of what happened, you know, in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who is a prominent conservative voice on the right at that university in Utah last week. What we've seen is obviously there have been those on the left who have sought to justify it or sought to say, well, he had it, you know, given his, his own rhetoric and the rhetoric from the right that somehow there is justification. We've seen people lose their jobs. I make no bone, I don't have, you know, I don't think there's any justification for violence of this sort. And the assassination was absolutely. But I think what the newspaper, the New York Times is tapping into is whether this is now and JD Vance guest hosted the Charlie Kurt podcast. Is this, whether this now being used, what happened and the reaction from the left by certain sections of the left to what happened, which I would condemn is somehow is now being used as a justification to crack down on dissent within America. And the paper reports, of course, it could have far reaching consequences in terms of how the First Amendment is upheld.
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Georgina Godwin
I mean, this is something that we really need to watch. Just going back to what Michael Wolff was saying earlier, we did an extended interview with him which will be broadcast on Meet the Writers on Sunday where he said that really how this is dealt with is going to have a significant effect.
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Theo Usherwood
Yeah, absolutely. And it feels like a moment where it's a time for cool heads. But that's the opposite of what we're getting in America and that it's actually being used. And we've had, you know, that, you know, there are fears, there are legitimate fears that I've been reading and heard spoken about of, you know, America descending into some sort of civil war. And that's, you know, America on the global stage has always played an integral part in European affairs in the threats that we see now, not just from Russia, but the, you know, the ever deteriorating situation in the Middle East. And to see a country that feels like it's on the brink of ripping itself apart, I think that's so important just to our own sort of way of life. And upholding Western values here in the West, I think is deeply concerning. I'm sure there'd be right wing conservatives who would, would disagree with that and say, well, actually the left needs to be crushed and it is the left that is putting Western values at risk. But make, I don't think what anybody could disagree with is the way that the debate has deteriorated in America to a point where each side is trying to forcefully silence the other.
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Georgina Godwin
Finally, a bit of a good news story for the son of India's richest man. That's Mr. Amban. He is allowed to keep his zoo he has over 2000 species in his zoo, including elephants, tigers and various other animals. It's on a huge acreage in Gujarat and there was a court case about it.
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Theo Usherwood
Now, when I think of a private zoo, I think you might have the odd lion or the odd tiger, but no, the son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, had a zoo, as you say, of more than 2,000 animals. There'd been a huge, huge amount of. There'd been concern because this is in one of the Indian subcontinent, it is incredibly hot. And there were accusations that animals who, wild animals who have no way of coping with the extreme heat in India were being kept in appalling. Were being kept in conditions which they just weren't suited to. Now, a team of retired judges was set up. The BBC is reporting on its website to look into allegations that animals at the Ventara Zoo were acquired unlawfully, mistreated. But now it's ruled that there was no foul play in the Zoo's management and Mr. Ambani and his son have been given the all clear.
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Georgina Godwin
Excellent. Thea Ashwood, thank you very much indeed. This is the Globalist.
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- [22:38]
Georgina Godwin
It is 9:22 in Damascus, 7:22 here in London. What can we expect from Syria's first election since the fall of Bashar Al Assad? The process began yesterday and it's due to wrap by Saturday, though it could be extended. Regional committees will choose 140 of the 210 seats, while President Ahmad Al Sharra appoints the rest. Crucially, voting is not taking place in Sweda or the Kurdish controlled regions officially for security reasons, but it is raising concerns about voter suppression. Well, with Al Sharah soon to address the un, the credibility of this process will be under sharp scrutiny at home and abroad. I'm joined now by Tara Kangalu, who is global affairs journalist for NBC, CNN and Al Jazeera America. She's also adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Tara, welcome to the show. I understand you're in Zabadani today. I wonder how this election is being structured. If you could tell us a little bit more about that and what makes it different, Genuine Popular vote.
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Tara Kangalu
Thank you so much for having me. Yes, I'm in Zabadani, a city that was under siege, as were so many other places that I visited while in Syria. In fact, yesterday was. I was in Damascus, as you mentioned, the elections are underway. But speaking to people, what's happening right now is really based on the old constitution. This is a new government. And again, collectively, everyone I've been speaking with, different walks of life, different cities have been telling me that give it some time, give it a chance. You mentioned in your introduction, these are local representatives that essentially would make their way into the parliament. Right. And that has been a system that has worked, you know, in Syria in the past, except obviously all those representatives were part of the Alawite and the, you know, the Assad regime and those who backed his government. Now, I spoke to a, a man who stayed in while he was under stage last night, and he told me that, listen, the focus of the government has been on bringing the basics back, prioritizing education, housing, health care. People are slowly coming back. We have to remember that more than half of the population of the entire country, more than 12 million people have been displaced across Syria. More than half a million people have been killed, 6 million refugees. So this is no normal standard situation where there's a change in government and sure, let's have parliamentarian election. So what is seen is, according to, again, many people that I've been talking to, the best that the government can do. Right now, of course, the world is watching. Sectarian violence and tensions and the rise of various militant groups is no new news to the region. So that is being watched. But what we are seeing right now is piggybacking under the old constitution until some new form of constitution is put in place and the transition is complete.
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Georgina Godwin
Some areas, though, are being excluded. Why is that? And is there concern about shutting out opposition voices?
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Tara Kangalu
Yes. So as you mentioned, again, there are security concerns, but again, speaking to people. Another young woman actually, who also stayed in Zabedani, she told me that I have Christian friends in this city and, you know, for instance, Christians, according to her and a few other people I've spoken with, have all their rights. So I think collectively people are saying we have to give this some time. Right. There is, as you mentioned, security concern in those two regions. But I think it's also wait and see game. You know, one cannot expect a perfect delivery from a society that has collapsed. You know, this is in so many ways a failed state. And the new government is trying to revamp it. And mind you, that this is, you know, a 39, 40 year old militant who is now in power. What I found interesting, by the way, because I visited the sort of, I don't want to call it the Ministry of Education, but essentially I met with the head of education for the entire Damascus governor, right, and he told me that so many people from the previous regime, by the way, who were doing a good job and were not necessarily supportive of the Assad regime are still in positions to help with this transition. And I think that's something to pay attention to, right, because there are some good people from the old government that are staying put to help with this extremely challenging path forward to build this broken state.
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Georgina Godwin
The president though, will be directly appointing a third of members. So how much independence can the new parliament claim?
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Tara Kangalu
Again, he is overseeing it and you know, the whole purpose is bringing people together, bringing various voices together. This according to both representatives that I've spoken with, local representatives and also people. But this idea that every single Syrian from all walks of life and factions will have representation in this new parliament, of course is not true and is wishful thinking. But again, according to so many, this is the first step at a time that for the first time people are feeling freedom. So many of those who I've spoken with told me we would have been killed for this conversation on, you know, basic discussions, education, healthcare. So this is a very volatile and delicate environment to live in, to lead in and to have a government.
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Georgina Godwin
And as you say, it's a very, very damaged state. Just yesterday you were in Douma, weren't you? That's the site of the 2018 SIE and also one of the chemical attacks. What did you see there?
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Tara Kangalu
I remember covering Duma from afar and when I stepped in to the city, it was apocalyptic and I couldn't believe my eyes. And I'm sure your listeners and yourself remember the makeshift hospitals underground in the tunnels that were built by the locals. I visited one of these hospitals and I was told that Duma pre siege had had a population of 1 million. And after the siege, every single person was underground, every single building was damaged. There was no building, not just in Douma, but also in Zabedani, in Puta. And as you exit Damascus, everything is destroyed, everything is ruined. And I spoke with a man who actually joined the opposition group. He was put in prison, in Assad's prison. And his task, because he was sentenced to death, was to count the dead people. And he was called the Dead man walking. And you know, he told me about his, you know, obviously the excruciating torture that he went through. His wife was also put in prison. But I want to mention that his children too, by the way, as Young as 1 and 2, were imprisoned and then sent to orphanages. And this man was the one who was showing me underground in these tunnels and he said, you know, we have to preserve this site because this is the price we paid for our freedom. And every single person I'm speaking with is living in utter destruction. I went to the home of a 35 year old mother again in Douma. She has a one year, she has a seven year old daughter, Sally, and she gave birth under siege in one of these makeshift clinics and her home a destroyed building, there is no infrastructure. And the first thing that people are asking for is support from the government to rebuild their homes and also support their children education. But I've never seen this amount of hope and joy really. And this mother told me, she said we have so much joy, sometimes we don't even know what to do with it. But it was quite apocalyptic. And also mind you that again quite a few people told me that what we're seeing in Gaza is reminding them of what they went through.
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Georgina Godwin
Just finally Tara, so are you genuinely hopeful that this process could mark a very positive turning point for Syria?
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Tara Kangalu
That's an interesting question because the man that I mentioned I was speaking with last night, again, he stayed in Zabadani under siege and I brought, you know, the situation in Zwaida up and of course the Kurdish region and you know, he said there again according to him and what would he and you know, his I suppose associates in the village think? He said, you know, there is a level of foreign intervention and that's something we've always seen in Syria and people are afraid of that in some ways. This man and also Mohammad, the father that I mentioned, the former prisoner who by the way was released from prison four days before his execution in a prison exchange. He also told me, he said we want rebuild our country ourselves. We are optimistic. We just don't want, you know, anyone to meddle in our business. And I asked him, I said what is your sentiment toward the United States, toward the uk? And it is so interesting. He said we're willing to work with everyone, we're willing to work with the US, the uk he even mentioned Israel. And I found that quite interesting for someone who you know, underwent such experience and by the way fought in the J Shal Islam military militant group. So again, it's an interesting space but genuinely I think people are hopeful. These are people who more than 10 years were afraid of getting killed for pretty much anything for living. And that's not something we should take lightly.
- [33:18]
Georgina Godwin
Tara, thank you very much indeed. That's Tara Khangalu, who is a global affairs journalist now. Still to come on the program now.
- [33:27]
Quinton Lucas
You have a nationwide bit of fascism, candidly that I think is creating a difficult moment for Americans and American leaders.
- [33:35]
Georgina Godwin
That's Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, who addresses the issue of Donald Trump's campaign against America's big Democrat run cities. This is THE globalist. Now here's what else we're curious keeping an eye on today. US President Donald Trump says the military has sunk a Venezuelan vessel he described as a drug cartel boat bound for the United States. Three men were killed in the strike which took place in international waters, though no evidence has been provided that the boat was carrying narcotics. Japan's farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi have joined the race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The contest, set for early next month, is shaping up as a crowded field that could produce the country's first female leader. And Vietnamese airline Vietjet is set to take delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max jet on Sunday. That's more than nine years after the order was placed. Vietnam's presence. The president is due to attend the handover ceremony at a Boeing factory as trade Talks with the U.S. continue. This is the Globalist. Stay tuned. This week's edition of the Foreign Desk takes a look at US President Donald Trump's campaign against America's big Democrat run cities. Quinton Lucas is one of the mayors in Trump's sights. He's the mayor of Kansas City City and he spoke to Monocle's Andrew Muller, who began by asking about the recent statement by White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt, who said that President Trump would love to do this in every Democrat run city.
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Quinton Lucas
I think the president is still more of a showman and an entertainer than he has any interest in substance. And my view has been that the president is picking on the largest cities in America first. That's why you've heard discussion of Los Angeles and Chicago. Does he get to every Democratic city? I don't think there are enough National Guardsmen. I don't think there's enough energy and interest to do so. So we are operating day in and day out. And last week I met with a group of black mayors in America. You'll note that of the cities that have been attacked or under his interest, almost all of them have been run by a black mayor.
- [36:04]
Andrew Muller
I was about to ask if you noticed a pattern emerging.
- [36:08]
Quinton Lucas
Yes, and I think we've all seen that. I talked to the mayor of Los Angeles last week, Karen Bass, who was noting that we think we are getting picked on. You're hearing that now. And so, look, it is a broader concern. But I would say this very simply. They create very serious concerns, but they're not serious people. And so I do think the president will deploy on a whim. That being said, trying to predict what Donald Trump will do is in some ways like watching a play that I once enjoyed, the Madness of King James. And I think, frankly, that's what we're seeing in the US Now.
- [36:40]
Andrew Muller
Do you have a plan or contingency in place in case one day President Trump does wake up and decide, you know, what, I'm sending the National Guard and or federal troops to Kansas City?
- [36:53]
Quinton Lucas
I already have started a process. I think last week I was on the COVID of a fairly popular American daily, the New York Times, talking about how we do welcome cooperation. We do welcome collaboration with the FBI, with our Drug Enforcement Agency, getting fentanyl off of our streets, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, that is helping us get illegal guns off of America's street. That is the collaboration we want. So what we're really trying to do is say rather than sending us National Guard, send us agencies that are helping our communities stay safe, fighting human trafficking, fighting drug trafficking, trafficking. Whether that is effective long term, one does not know. But thus far, we have not gotten the attention and interest of the president of the United States.
- [37:37]
Andrew Muller
I guess it must be a closer relationship with Missouri's governor, who is a Republican, Mike Kehoe, you have been unhappy with him publicly about a few things. Calling out the National Guard before anti Trump protests in June. Is dealing with a Republican governor any kind of dress rehearsal for dealing with this federal administration? Or is this federal administration, administration something so completely different and bizarre that that doesn't help?
- [38:04]
Quinton Lucas
You know, it is a good question. The biggest challenge in America right now isn't actually Donald Trump himself. It is his foot soldiers. It is people like Secretary of Health and Human services Robert Kennedy Jr. And it is the governors around the country. Our relationship with our governor is a good one. That being said, when Trump barked, most Republicans in America throughout the states listen. And when he says jump, they all ask, how high? And so for me, probably the greatest challenge is getting through to our governor and saying, but our city actually needs this. We need guns off the streets. We need access to vaccines to make sure that we don't have a spread of polio, of all things, generations after it's largely been eradicated in the United States. And that is where I think we have the greatest concerns. And I would say this about my guide governor and many others. They're good to work with, they're closer to us, they visit our cities, but they still, I think, are more, far more adherent to Trump than they are the people of our cities.
- [39:05]
Andrew Muller
Well, just finally then, there could be another three and a half years of Donald Trump's second term still to go. Do you and other mayors you've spoken to in similar positions talk about long term plans for dealing with this, long term plans for trying to address those concerns you were talking about despite Washington, D.C. or again, is this presidency so volatile that there's no point in trying to plan for anything?
- [39:33]
Quinton Lucas
You come up with long term plans. You come up with long term plans in terms of how you can have funding sources in states with Democratic governors, which I am not one. You have had people who build out a real apparatus for homelessness support, for example, and healthcare funding. Those are the long term plans. But the rest of us, I think, are riding a bit of a shirt shockwave. It is a roller coaster in Donald Trump's America. The problem is it's a roller coaster without a seat belt. And so you're hoping that physics keep you on board, but unfortunately the wrong turn may throw you off and you see that happen to real American communities. A challenge to American mayors. And I think it is fair to say that a number of Americans, but not greater than half, are horrified at this current moment. I have not seen this level of divisiveness in our country in quite some time. And I even argue compared to the civil rights era, where most people actually knew what was happening was wrong, just so that the people who were in charge of most of the abuses lived in one part of our country. Now you have a nationwide bit of fascism, candidly that I think is creating a difficult moment for Americans and American leaders.
- [40:40]
Andrew Muller
And there has been a lot of talk, more than you might want to think about overseas, about where is a coherent opposition to President, President Trump. Do you think it might be it's something that might grow out of that network of Democratic mayors?
- [40:57]
Quinton Lucas
It likely does, either mayors or governors. It will be a non Washington based type of spirit of influence. I think right now, I looked at polling actually earlier today. We are not that popular as Democrats, broadly But I do think that individual leaders in states and cities are, it will need those types of people who have messages of how they actually get things done rather than Washington that just debates that I think does make a difference long term for us.
- [41:28]
Georgina Godwin
And that was Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas in conversation with Andrew Muller. And you can hear the full interview on the latest edition of the Foreign Desk on Monacle Radio or wherever you get your podcasts. We turn to cricket now, where India's Asia cup win over Pakistan has been overshadowed by controversial controversy. Captain Surya Kumar Yadav led his players straight off the field, refusing the traditional post match handshakes and framing the victory as a perfect reply. After recent cross border clashes, Pakistan lodged a protest and officials condemned the politicization of the game. It's the latest reminder that cricket between the two nuclear armed neighbours is never just about sport. And it raises questions about the limits of, of sports diplomacy and whether India's use of cricket as a tool of soft power is being undermined. Well, I'm joined now by Insaman Rashid, who's Monocle's golf correspondent. That's Gulf, not golf. Although we are of course talking about sport right now. Insi, welcome back to the show. You were actually there at that match and the animosity wasn't just confined to the pitch. Can you tell me about the atmosphere of the match and what you observe served?
- [42:48]
Insi Rashid
Yeah. Morning, Georgina. Yeah. This wasn't just cricket. It's fair to say it wasn't just sports. This was a lot more than that. And it, it was a clash that has unfolded against the backdrop of, of a hugely tense summer. And whilst, yes, we didn't see the handshakes at the end of the match between the two sides, it was kind of off the field but in the crowd where a lot of those tensions were as well. I saw many scuffles between injuries India and Pakistan fans in the Dubai International Stadium. Even after the match when leaving the ground, there were a lot of kind of arguments between fans of the two sides. But there was also a lot of love as well. And there has been many photos and videos coming out of India Pakistan fans sharing hugs and handshakes in the crowd. So it's not all negative, but clearly the tensions of what's happened over the last few months between these two nations has escalated onto the cricket field and into the crowd as well.
- [43:51]
Georgina Godwin
So why is a handshake such an important ritual in cricket and what message did India's refusal send?
- [43:57]
Insi Rashid
Well, look, I'm a big cricket fan. I've played cricket my whole life and you shake hands at the end of the game. The two captains usually shake hands at the start of the game when you're tossing the coin to see who bats and fields first. And that was something that didn't happen. Now information has come out afterwards suggesting that actually the match referee had told the two nations, the two captains not to shake hands at the toss. And big questions are now being put to the, the International Cricket Council, the Asia Cricket Council, as well as to why that request was put forward by the match referee. A handshake is hugely important. It just signifies that the two teams are, are, are there on, on the same pitch ready to play against each other. And I think India's refusal, refusal for a handshake just shows the position that not only India as a cricket board and a cricket team have on the whole situation against Pakistan, but also the government. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a wider conversation that was had with members of India's government, Modi's government, who has close ties with the board of cricket in India. And that decision was made mutually. And the captain, Surikuma Yadav had said that actually this was a decision pre made by the bcci, that they went off, shut the door of the, of the pavilion and didn't wait around for handshakes with the rest of the Pakistan team.
- [45:29]
Georgina Godwin
And with India and Pakistan potentially set to meet again in the Super 4 stage, how might this diplomatic chill shape the atmosphere on and off the pitch?
- [45:39]
Insi Rashid
Yeah, I think that with the two sides potentially meeting this weekend, unless Pakistan makes good on, on threats to boycott, which they have done over the match referee and, and the handshake row, they've lodged a formal complaint to, to remove the referee. And if, if that doesn't happen, then they've suggested that they won't play in the future games. If they do play again, I think the cricket may matter a lot less than the choreography around it. I think going back to the idea of this handshake and that's what it kind of really boils down to, it's supposed to kind of soften rivalry, Georgina. It's supposed to remind us that sports is bigger than politics and often these matches kind of unite the two countries.
- [46:28]
Georgina Godwin
But this time, unfortunately, we seem to have lost INSI there. But I mean, the CLR James quote, that great cricketer and thinker was what do they know of cricket, who only cricket know? And that seems particularly apt in this case. Many thanks to Insi. And this is the globalist on Monocle Radio.
- [46:52]
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- [47:28]
Georgina Godwin
Now it's time for a quick hit of business news. And joining me is Vicky Price, economist and former joint head of the UK Government's economic Service. Vicki, it's great to have you back with us. Let's start with news about the Federal Reserve. And before we get into the fact that it may cut rates for the first time since 2024, I see that the US appeals court has declined to allow Donald Trump to fire the Federal Reserve governor, Lisa Cook. Is that how significant is that?
- [47:56]
Vicky Price
I think it's quite significant. It means that she can vote for whatever may happen in the next couple of days. So we hear tomorrow what the decision is. So it is significant, first of all because of the bank independence, the Fed's independence, because, of course, you know, we know all the sort of background material about her being accused of having sort of not done the right thing when she got a mortgage. But it looked certainly like an attack on the Fed if it didn't really want to follow, if you like. Trump's idea, which has been to cut rates faster, more aggressively than we have seen. In fact, we've seen hardly any cuts at all for many, many months. And that has been a problem that President Trump has had with Powell, the Fed chairman. And at various stages, it looked like he was sort of attacking the entire institution and of course, attacking one governor that he would quite like to replace with somebody perhaps who would be more prepared to do his bidding, if you like, is the thing that worried the markets quite significantly. And I think the decision, it seems, when I read the details of that, to have been mainly because the markets would get terribly unsettled if this were to happen for this meeting. So it's basically been delayed in the sense that the decision of whether she has has been fired and can't come back again will not be settled for some time. So she's there still able to vote. And I think that's perhaps one little tick in favor of the Fed's independence, if you like, looking at it from the outside.
- [49:36]
Georgina Godwin
So the Fed is widely expected to lower its benchmark rate when it meets this week. Tell us more on that.
- [49:42]
Vicky Price
Well, yes, I mean, the interesting thing is that apart from the pressure that we've just been discussing that President Trump and others have been putting on the Fed. The real issue is what is the economy doing. The Fed, of as we know, much more pronounced than is the case in other central banks, has a dual remit, which is to keep inflation low, but also to make sure that employment stays sort of reasonably high and we don't move into recession by just changing US Monetary policy and making things worse. So they have this dual rivet. And what's going on right now is of course that inflation is picking up, up has picked up to 2.9%. So that's one of the issues. And of course it could pick up even further because of U.S. tariffs. And one of the reasons why we haven't seen the cuts before is because the Fed's chairman has said a number of times that there's a lot of uncertainty about the tariff situation and this isn't really quite the right time to cut rates. But the economy seems to be slowing down. There are quite a lot of conflicting indicators there. I mean, we've seen, of course, the job creation being quite low. We've seen actually some of the data that we had relied on not having been correct or at least have been revised. It means that the situation on the employment front is worse than had been anticipated originally and on which various decisions were made. We still have the consumer spending a bit more. The August data from surveys suggest a little bit more spending has been taking place, but in a slower pace than before. So there are good grounds on the economic front to cut rates. And I think the balance. Any commentator looking at this right now, now, is that we're going to move in that direction. Maybe 25 basis points possibly had been discussed for quite some time. 50. And the 50 would be a temptation because you can just do 50 and then just wait and see, possibly, and then not do anything else. So the markets are divided as to how much it would be, but probably the biggest bets are for just a 25 basis points cut.
- [51:34]
Georgina Godwin
So kicking the can down the road seems to be a bit of a theme here. And it's also the case with the next sanctions package against Russia. Tell us about, about that.
- [51:42]
Vicky Price
Well, yes, I mean that the 19 sanctions package by the EU and of course they need to get support more generally in terms of how effective those sanctions might be, if they get support from the US as well. But what is going on right now before the implementation of this package is that the US or President Trump is pushing to ensure that the EU becomes tougher, not just against Russia, but also against other countries that import particularly oil and gas from Russia or do more trade deals more generally. And those countries that do or do deals with Russia right now, which seem to be outside the limit. And the sanctions that the EU has been imposing and the US up to a point are China and India. And we know that the US is already imposing considerable tariffs on China. What they want to do is they want to get the EU to also agree to do similar sanctions and tariffs against those secondary countries, if you want to call them that, from that point of view, even though they're very big countries. And also, of course, to look at what's happening in Europe too, because there are countries like Hungary and others which are still importing quite a lot of particularly gas from Russia and so are actually quite a lot of other European countries. So that would be quite a tough decision for the EU to make, particularly now that the EU is trying to get closer in many ways to China. And also their attitude to India is very different to that of the us. So it's a very difficult period for the eu. And what we've heard just in the last few hours really, is that this package is now being delayed a little bit and we don't actually know this 19th sanctions package when it might be implemented while all these discussions take place.
- [53:28]
Georgina Godwin
Vicky, thank you very much indeed. That's Vicky Price there. And this is the globe. At Paris Design Week. One of the standout installations has been 577 chairs, each a one off design carrying a word like liberty, peace or rage. Created by Claire Renard and Jean Sebastien Blanc, the chairs mirror the number of deputies in France's national assembly and they're being auctioned online starting at €100 a piece. They're on show this week at Le Mans headquarters during the paper's annual festival, raising questions about democracy, design and accessibility. Well, I'm joined now by Simone Bouvier, who's Monocle's Paris bureau chief. Bonjour, Simon.
- [54:23]
Simone Bouvier
Bonjour, Georgina. How are you?
- [54:24]
Georgina Godwin
I'm very good. I'm tempted to call you Mon Cher Cherry.
- [54:29]
Simone Bouvier
Mon Cherry. Yeah, I like that. That's good.
- [54:32]
Georgina Godwin
So very oddly named the Citizen Hemicycle. What is this? What' the idea?
- [54:37]
Simone Bouvier
Well, Georgina, as you said, it's an art installation, I suppose, from designers and artists Claire Renard and Jean Sebastien Blanc. And the idea, I think was to represent the level of fracture and diversity, if you want to put a positive or more positive spin on it, that is currently permeating French politics. So on each of the 577 chairs. There is a different word or slogan that represents the. All of the French people's differences and diversity, shall I say? And so These all, all 577 of these chairs were exhibited during Paris Design Week until the end of last week in the courtyard of the National Archives in Paris. And now they have been moved to the headquarters of Le Monde while they're auctioned off.
- [55:33]
Georgina Godwin
Why Le Monde?
- [55:35]
Simone Bouvier
Well, Le Monde is holding its annual festival in which it opens the doors of its headquarters to the public for events, for panel discussions, for tours of the neighborhood, for explanations about how their newspaper runs. And I think that the artists and the. The newsroom decided that they were going to collaborate on this because these democratic questions and how much of a political crisis is ongoing in France right now has made this work extremely relevant.
- [56:07]
Georgina Godwin
So France is increasingly seen as a hub for collectible design. I wonder how this project reflects or even challenges that reputation.
- [56:16]
Simone Bouvier
That's right. I think that the fact that France has long had a history of craftsmanship, these metier d', art, which see these highly skilled artisans who are experts in these kind of ancestral crafts, 15 years ago or so, Georgina, these were perceived as kind of antiquated and quirky, kind of a French idiosyncrasy. But now, thanks to the fact that these were rediscovered or put back at the front of the scene by luxury houses, for instance. And even in design, France is ideally positioned for surfing on this trend of collectible design, which, as opposed to industrial design, that mass produces pieces that were created by artists and designers. It's very limited series, made with the best materials and that are more akin to artworks, really, than a utilitarian piece of furniture, in this case. And you can imagine the price points for these unique pieces of interior design are extremely high. So collectible design is not very accessible here. It kind of turns it on its head because the price point of all of these chairs, which are each unique and are being auctioned off, is, you know, opening bids are €100. So they are extremely democratic, just like the whole idea of the artwork itself.
- [57:35]
Georgina Godwin
And that's an excellent idea. It just gives you an, I suppose, another. Another entry into the world of exclusivity. But it also brings. Brings ordinary people into ownership of these beautiful works of art.
- [57:46]
Simone Bouvier
That's right. And allows them to participate in design and understand that you don't need to be wealthy in order to appreciate the value of putting a work like this in your home. You know, it is utilitarian, but it also carries a message. And I think traditionally this is, this is not something that was accessible to working class people. In this case. I think that some of the chairs, namely Liberty Galitier Fraternity and Bleu Blanc Rouge maybe are going to fetch high prices but others won't. And also the diversity of the words that were chosen reflect the diversity of the interests and the demography of France. So some of them are slang, some of them, them have to do with, you know, different social insertion policies, minimum wage and so on and so forth. So it'll be interesting to see which ones fetch very high prices and which ones don't.
- [58:47]
Georgina Godwin
Simon, thank you very much indeed. That's Simone Beauvier in France, our Paris bureau chief. And that's all we have time for today. Thanks to our producers Anita Riota and Hassan and Anderson, our researcher Daniella Brawl Smith and our studio manager Lily Austin. The Globalist is back at the same time tomorrow. I'm Georgina Godwin. Thank you for listening.