Staff Reports
In the latest installment of “What Would Trump Do?” the former President has taken a bold step onto the international stage, waving goodbye to the good old strategies of deterrence and thumb wrestling with a fresh concept: compellence. This isn’t your neighborhood bake sale; it’s high-stakes diplomacy, folks, and Trump seems intent on pulling off the biggest political power play the world has ever seen.
The idea of compellence revolves around the notion that you can strong-arm foreign countries into compliance. It’s like those childhood days when giants would commandeer the swing set—you either join in or face a tire swing straight to the gut. Trump believes that the right amount of pressure, or perhaps a hefty dose of that famed Trump bravado, can get other nations to bend to America’s will. Why bother with lengthy diplomatic tea parties when a well-timed tweet or a strong word can do the trick?
Talk loudly and swing a yuge stick: Trump does Teddy Roosevelt one better https://t.co/lMyjFTfOry pic.twitter.com/MmBNK68N9o
— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) January 28, 2025
Critics may whine that this isn’t deterrence in the traditional sense—where the goal is to prevent escalation through a show of force. But who needs traditional tactics when you have the Trump method? The former president seems to think that making a stark threat is enough to make world leaders scramble to comply with the U.S. agenda, and history has shown that sometimes a little intimidation can untangle the knottiest of international disputes. After all, who doesn’t want to avoid a public Twitter feud with the leader of the free world?
While the experts may have a proverbial field day debating the nuances of international relations, one thing is clear: Trump plays by his own rules, and he’s not afraid to put the squeeze on other nations. Whether it’s about trade deals or foreign policy or even how to conduct themselves at international summits, he appears ready to rewrite the rulebook. He’s crafting a new repertoire of foreign relations that can scare a country into action faster than a dog can chase after a squirrel.
In a world rife with red tape and indecision, the appeal of a strong-handed approach might just resonate with the American public. Many are tired of weak diplomacy resulting in no results, or worse, concessions that only seem to benefit other nations. Whether or not Trump’s methods will achieve their intended goals remains to be seen, but it’s undeniably entertaining to watch him attempt to apply a pressure cooker to global politics. If nothing else, it proves that when it comes to foreign matters, Trump is here to play hardball, and he knows how to deliver a message loud and clear—whether that’s through a tweet or a threat.
