He isn't. He isn't some master manipulator, he isn't fuckin' Sun Tzu. People need to stop assuming this is some grand plan. Trump is not smart. He is just that stupid, that impulsive and mercurial. Sometimes his showman's instinct works for him, but when it comes to actual negotiation, he is a one-trick nag. Trump has gotten by for decades bullying and cajoling people in business with bluster and brag and insisting on getting his own way, and then getting slapped down before coming back again. He is simply trying to handle nations the same way.
From Reuters:
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