Art of the Power Deal: The Four Negotiation Roles of Donald J. Trump

In this article, I mine President Donald Trump's considerable writing and speaking record to synthesize the key elements of his deal-making approach to help make better sense of his rhetoric and actions on the world's diplomatic stage. My argument is that Trump's coercive negotiation style is best understood through the prism of his four public roles: observer, performer, controller, and disrupter. In this article, I analyze how these roles translate into his negotiating behavior. Spotting and exploiting vulnerability is his trade; leverage and bravado are his tools. After assessing the opposing side, Trump uses leverage to threaten his counterparts' weaknesses, while using bravado to play up the advantages of reaching an agreement on his terms. This way, he presents a drastic structured choice to his opponents, leaving them the least maneuvering space. In the final section of the paper, I illustrate how the four-role framework helps explain Trump's decisions in the nuclear negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. I also consider opportunities for further research.