395. Trump, Xi, and how China outsmarted America

  • Podcast

  • 16 April 2025

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 1

Does Trump want to turn America into China? How come politicians - including those on the right - want to nationalise steel in the UK? Are we witnessing a seismic change in German politics?


The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign-ups ? TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡


The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to Question Time episodes to live show tickets, ad-free listening for both TRIP and Leading, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.


Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅


For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com


Instagram: @restispolitics

Twitter: @RestIsPolitics

Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com


Assistant Producers: India Dunkley, Evan Green 

Video Editors: Josh Smith, Charlie Rodwell, Adam Thornton 

Social Producers: Charlie Johnson, Harry Balden

Producers: Nicole Maslen, Fiona Douglas

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Head of Content: Tom Whiter

Exec Producers: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One response to “395. Trump, Xi, and how China outsmarted America”

  1. Alistair, I just wanted to say that I enjoy your podcasts (all of them). You and Rory always have unique and thought provoking ideas. I’ve been listening to the BBC and our own National Public Radio (NPR) News Hour for news. I always think it’s good to listen to other’s countries’ views of what’s going on in the United States so I get a better picture of what’s happening in my country. Just know that you have at least one person that enjoys your podcast programs.

    Hopefully we (my country) will survive the tiny handed, orange dictator “want to be” and the oligarch (musk) who’s trying to tear the U.S. apart.

    By the way, I’ve started calling DOGE (doggy) like Kara Swisher (VOX).

    Keep up the great work!

    Alan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

192. Are We On The Brink Of World War III? (Odd Arne Westad)

How similar is today's world to the months before the outbreak of World War I? Could Taiwan, India-China tensions, or an unforeseen crisis be the spark that sets the world ablaze? Are our leaders too ... Continue

8 June 2026

539. Embezzlement, the Mandelson Texts, and Hasan Piker’s UK Ban

What does the SNP embezzlement case reveal about how scandal-ridden British politics is? Is the banning of prominent left-wing American commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur a sensible decision or a... Continue

4 June 2026

538. The Pope’s AI Warning and Alastair Reacts to Blair’s Attack

Is Pope Leo’s encyclical the most important contribution to the AI debate so far, and is he doing more to hold Silicon Valley to account than any Western government? What did Alastair say to Tony Bl... Continue

3 June 2026

Alastair Campbell’s diary: My airport row with a Trump supporter

It started badly – and when he said the UK was unreliable, I lost it... Continue

3 June 2026

191. Is It Already Too Late to Control AI? (Anthropic Co-Founder, Jack Clark)

Why is one of AI's most powerful insiders scared of what he's building? Who's really in charge of the technology reshaping our world? Is it too late for governments to regulate it? Rory and Matt Clif... Continue

1 June 2026

Who Funds Reform? The Missing Millions

Who is the secretive billionaire bankrolling Reform — and what does he want? How did a brand new party raise and spend £17 million with no public explanation? As Farage inches toward power, who's r... Continue

29 May 2026

537. Indicting Trump, Israeli Prisons, and Rory vs. Ed Miliband

What connects Trump’s Cuba blockade and Ben Gvir’s abuse of flotilla activists? As Richard Tice denies climate change science, will reality catch up with Reform UK – and what is Rory’s issue w... Continue

28 May 2026

536. Is Trump’s Corruption Machine Reaching New Extremes?

Has the scale of Donald J. Trump’s corruption become too big to prosecute? Is the US Constitution now a roadmap to tyranny instead of a protection against it? Why do 72% of Gen Z think things will o... Continue

27 May 2026