David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders

David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders(Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim FocasA Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. But Brent was supposed to be a satire, not a blueprint for modern political communications. The politics of the 2020s is now populated by figures who make David Brent look, well, modestly quaint. President Trump, perhaps the most obvious example, has adopted a political communication style that has far more in common with Brent than with JFK. Like Brent, Trump is a “chilled out entertainer” at heart – ok perhaps not so much of the chilled.