Trump Could Take a Leaf from Disraeli's Book

Reflections on the 19th century's wittiest statesmen.

Benjamin Disraeli became the British Prime Minister in 1868 and then again from 1874-1880, when the Conservative Party was at its zenith during the reign of Queen Victoria. A writer and dandy in his youth, he was famous for great wit. I believe Winston Churchill got many of his ideas from Disraeli.

When Nancy Astor told Churchill, “If I were your wife, I’d put poison in your tea.” Churchill replied, “If I were your husband, I’d drink it.”

Compare this to Disraeli’s remark about his arch rival, William Gladstone:

The difference between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Gladstone fell into the Thames, it would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a calamity.

My favorite Disraeli quote was a remark he made before Parliament in 1880 after Gladstone circulated his famous pamphlet, The Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East, in which Gladstone agitated for military intervention in the Balkans against Ottoman tyranny. Disraeli believed it would be folly to get embroiled in a conflict with the Turks in the Balkans, especially considering that a Turkish retreat would be accompanied by Russia advancing its influence in the region. Remarking on Gladstone’s pamphlet, Disraeli said:

Of all the Bulgarian horrors, Gladstone’s pamphlet is perhaps the greatest.

I think of Disraeli’s remark whenever I hear a dopey politician bloviating about how the U.S. needs to intervene somewhere seven thousand miles away to sort out a territorial conflict that has been going on and off for 1000 years. I also think about how easily Disraeli would have mopped the floor with Kamala Harris.

It’s important to remember that Disraeli’s wit was always delivered with great calm, affability, and humor. He wasn’t so much throwing a punch at his opponent as causing everyone to laugh at his opponent. Der alte Jude, das ist der Mann, (“The old Jew, he is the man”) Bismarck said of Disraeli after the 1878 Congress of Berlin—an expression of his admiration for how skillfully Disraeli comported himself in the negotiations.

Donald Trump can be very funny when he is relaxed, so I believe it is well within his ability to take a leaf from Disraeli’s book. Trump’s problem is that he often seems stuck in archaic fight emotions when he contends with the villains arrayed against him. “Fight” emotions are useful if you find yourself in a boxing match, but even then, the best boxers are not just throwing punches, but paying very close attention to their opponents and constantly modifying their tactics accordingly.

We are indeed in a fight, but it's a verbal, social, and intellectual fight that requires coolness and finesse. Many readers may object that political jousting in the US in 2024 bears no resemblance to political jousting in London in 1880. I disagree. Disraeli’s wit and verbal dexterity serve as valuable models for everyone who steps into the arena of public affairs and public debate.