White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently commented to Fox News regarding Donald Trump’s strategic attempts to pressure Ukraine and Russia towards a ceasefire, stating that the president has mastered the art of negotiation and serves as a negotiator-in-chief. She referenced Trump’s 1987 bestselling book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, which outlines various real estate deals Trump managed as a young developer, demonstrating his approach to dealmaking.
As president, Trump has employed tactics such as tariffs, foreign policy maneuvers, executive orders, and regulatory changes to prompt shifts among trading partners, government bodies, and businesses. However, opinions vary on whether his business negotiation strategies have been effective politically.
The Art of the Deal, ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz, is known as a memoir with unreliable accounts. Schwartz, expressing regret in 2016, claimed he exaggerated Trump’s reputation while assisting with the book. Trump countered, asserting it was he who authored the publication. Despite criticisms, some deal experts, even those critical of Trump’s policies, acknowledge that the tactics described in the book contain elements of truth and were visible in his presidential tenure, though they caution about the potential drawbacks of his assertive style.
An example of Trump’s negotiation strategy is his bold aspirations, including expressions that the U.S. should control Greenland, regain the Panama Canal, and integrate Canada as the 51st state. Bob Bordone, founder of the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program, observes that Trump’s proposals, though extreme, often propel discussions toward ambitious ends.
Ben Smith, a director at Kearney and former advisor during George W. Bush’s presidency, commends Trump’s inclination towards “big bold deals,” suggesting that the effort involved in comprehensive deals often mirrors that of smaller ones. Persistence is highlighted as a key component of successful dealmaking by figures like veteran Italian banking executive Corrado Passera, who sees balancing assertiveness as crucial since excessive pressure may erode collaborative potential.
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser turned critic, noted Trump’s historical reliance on forceful tactics, often resulting in others yielding to him. However, the approach can sometimes be too aggressive, leading to tensions, as noted in public disagreements with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The effectiveness of such strategies is debated; Passera and others caution that these tactics may achieve immediate results but could prove detrimental over time. Trump’s approach, often seen as transactional and lacking a grand strategy, emphasizes personal gain over collective diplomatic objectives, according to Bolton and other observers.
Despite criticisms, Trump’s method of “truthful hyperbole” displayed in his book involves using hyperconfidence as a persuasive tool in dealmaking. Figures like Marco Alverà view this self-assuredness as potentially beneficial. Trump’s strategies sometimes involved leading negotiations personally, a move that Bordone recommends handle with care to avoid destabilizing complex discussions.
The concept from The Art of the Deal that unpredictability can be advantageous is a theme seen in Trump’s strategy, as mentioned in instances involving the unexpected scale of tariffs, which stirred market concerns. While some view unpredictability as a strategic tool, experts emphasize the need for it to be predictable enough to maintain trust and respect in negotiations.
Trump’s approach often challenges norms, prompting creative discussions, although responses to these provocations remain mixed.
