What does Rory Stewart think Trump will do abroad after losing Congress in the midterms?

Rory Stewart pointed out that Trump remains commander in chief, runs the Justice Department and has already launched strikes on Iran without consulting Congress. He offered two theories of Trump: that he chases money, using tariff powers to extract it, and that he believes in spheres of influence. On the second reading Stewart would watch Cuba closely, and he asked whether Xi Jinping might see the next two years as his best moment to move on Taiwan. He noted Trump had promised action on Iran once the midterms were over.

• Rory Stewart said voters barely mentioned foreign policy, and raised Iran only as a reason diesel prices went up.
• Rory Stewart argued the US is turning isolationist under both parties, so allies should not assume the old order is back.

▸In their words

“I think this is an electorate that doesn't care” Rory Stewart · at 47:25 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-11-04). Read the whole episode summary →

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