Overview
- The New York Times reported that some allies and adversaries prefer to wait for the president to calm down rather than risk abrupt starts, stops, and public humiliations.
- Trump presents unpredictability as a deliberate deal-making method intended to keep counterparts off balance.
- Biographer Timothy L. O’Brien told the Times the behavior reflects anxiety about midterm prospects rather than strategic negotiation.
- Cited examples include the Greenland episode and contentious trade talks with Canada that featured bluster followed by retreats.
- The report describes frequent tariff threats on social media that inject uncertainty into deals, and even some allies privately acknowledge economic drawbacks and political risks for Republicans in the midterms.