Daily Politics from the New Statesman Rory Stewart sees fundamental evil in Trump
Mar 27, 2026
Rory Stewart, former diplomat, cabinet minister and charity founder who walked across Afghanistan, discusses geopolitics, the Middle East and English identity. He reflects on boarding-school resilience, AI and creativity, the failures of Afghanistan interventions, Iran's strategic culture, nuclear proliferation risks, and the tensions between rewilding and rural livelihoods.
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Boarding School Built Resilience For Dangerous Deployments
- Rory Stewart links his boarding school upbringing to resilience in conflict zones and politics.
- He says living in institutional settings from age eight made shipping-container life in Iraq feel familiar and manageable.
Evil As Reckless Carelessness
- Rory Stewart defines political evil as reckless carelessness that ignores consequences.
- He applies this to Donald Trump, calling his decisions whimsical and devastating to global economies and vulnerable populations.
Why Iran Escalates To Prove Deterrence
- Stewart explains Iran's behaviour through Persian nationalism, Shia martyrdom, and fear of Western annihilation.
- He argues perceived Western intent to topple Iran forces Tehran to prove deterrence by causing global disruption.