David Lammy was visiting Washington last May when he realised Donald Trump was likely to win the presidential election. The soon-to-be foreign secretary held meetings with the Democrat and Republican campaigns – and found himself admiring the latter.
The slickness and professionalism of Trump’s 2024 operation, with its sharp messaging making inroads with black and Hispanic voters, seemed a far cry from his shambolic 2016 campaign. By comparison, Joe Biden’s appeared backward-looking and focused on attacking Trump’s record, while lacking a compelling narrative of its own.
