Roger Stone documentary A Storm Foretold revives the spectre of Donald Trump

Roger Stone, former advisor to President Donald Trump, greets supporters after speaking in front of the Supreme Court on January 05, 2021 in Washington, DC. Picture:Tasos Katopodis

The spectre of Donald Trump haunts US politics. The risk that he poses to US democracy and the rule of law, should he reclaim the presidency, is so grave that it cannot be ignored or discounted. The danger is that his treasonous attempt to overthrow the 2020 election is a sign of much worse to come.

The events leading up to the ransacking of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, through the eyes of Trump consigliere Roger Stone, are the subject of a fascinating and troubling documentary by Danish filmmaker Christoffer Guldbrandsen, A Storm Foretold, screening at the Sydney Film Festival this week.

Stone is emblematic of the dark underbelly of the Make America Great Again movement. He is a longtime supporter of Trump, a devotee of Richard Nixon, is invariably described as a braggart, bully and thug, and has extensive links with far-right subversive groups such as the Proud Boys.

Although he fully co-operated with the making of the film, Stone has since issued a cease-and-desist notice and threatened to sue Guldbrandsen for $US25m ($38m). As a result, the highly controversial yet compelling film has not screened in the US. Sydney is the first city outside Copenhagen to see the film.

In an interview for this column, Guldbrandsen said he decided to focus his camera lens on Stone because he wanted to better understand the movement that helped propel Trump to the presidency in 2016. He spent many hours behind the scenes with Stone, and the result is eye-opening.

“I was curious, fascinated and dumbfounded after the election in 2016 and not understanding what was going on,” Guldbrandsen says via Zoom from Copenhagen. “Roger was my portal into their thinking. I wanted to see for myself and understand what was going on.”

The film begins with Stone blazing a cigar and declaring: “Saving Western civilisation is hard work.” Guldbrandsen says that in many ways Stone “embodies the movement” that made Trump president more than Trump himself. Stone was an early and consistent Trump supporter; Trump describes Stone as “a good guy and a patriot”.

Supporters of US President Donald Trump fight with riot police outside the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

We see Stone at his home and in hotel rooms, speaking to small groups and large rallies, talking candidly to the director, and communicating with the Trump campaign and the White House. Stone boasts that Trump cannot be “managed” or “handled” like other politicians, but he can manipulate Trump to do and say things by appealing to his oversized ego.

In 2019, Stone was charged and convicted of witness tampering and lying to congress, and sentenced to 40 months in jail. Stone is recorded saying prosecutors would drop the charges if he testified against Trump.

The moment when Stone received a call from Trump to tell him his sentence has been commuted, sparing him jail time, is captured on film.

The access is extraordinary. Stone is seen constantly preening himself, dyeing his hair, smoking cigars, drinking martinis, revelling in his cult-like status as a celebrity political lobbyist and hatchet-man, showcasing his Nixon memorabilia and holding his hands aloft with a two-handed defiant victory salute just like Nixon.

Guldbrandsen suggests Stone was motivated to co-operate because of “vanity” and “money”. Stone hoped to get a cut of the film’s profits, yet this was never promised. Part-way through filming, Stone cut off access and began co-operating with a rival crew. Guldbrandsen suffered a heart attack while under pressure to complete the film, and Stone restored access.

It came at a critical time because Stone confided that Trump’s re-election campaign was so bad that he was likely to lose. He did. What Guldbrandsen filmed next is frightening. Stone had devised a “Stop the Steal” campaign in the event that Trump lost in 2016. Four years later it was put into action with the support of far-right militia groups.

The campaign of disinformation to undermine the election result, and overturn it, was partly orchestrated by Stone. Trump refused to accept the outcome, incited the Capitol riot and tried to steal the election when the electoral college votes were to be counted and certified. Stone expected to speak at the Trump rally that day but, for reasons not entirely known, was denied an opportunity.

As the camera rolls, Stone returns to his hotel to watch the rally and march on television. When it turns into a destructive and deadly riot, Stone panics, packs his bags and departs Washington DC. He did not want to be held responsible. He slams those who advised Trump. Rudy Giuliani is dismissed as a hack who enjoyed too much booze and sex.

As Republicans censured Trump and he was impeached (again), Stone feared arrest. He types an email to Trump begging for a pre-emptive pardon. When he does not get it, he goes into a meltdown. “I want impeachment,” Stone says. He accuses Trump of betrayal and says he is surrounded by “morons”. No wonder Stone wants to stop anyone seeing this film.

Guldbrandsen feels strongly that his film should be watched by those who support and oppose Trump, and by the indifferent. The film notes there was no evidence of electoral fraud in 2020 and this claim must be tackled head-on. “We need debate and discussion,” he says. “We should not exclude people because you dislike or detest their point of view.”

Roger Stone has revelled in his cult-like status as a celebrity political lobbyist and hatchet-man. Picture: AFP

This film is not only about the future of US democracy but democracies everywhere. Guldbrandsen says the undermining of freedoms by the same insidious forces motivated by grievance and fear is also evident in parts of Europe. After following Stone up close for two years, he is worried about what could come next.

“The erosion of democracy in the US, the flirting with violence and the undermining of people’s trust in the value of their vote is only the beginning,” Guldbrandsen says. “I fear for the US and I am deeply concerned about the direction of all our modern democracies.”

It is an ominous warning.

A Storm Foretold is showing at the Sydney Film Festival on Friday and Saturday.