In June of last year, the former basketball star Dennis Rodman made his fifth visit to Pyongyang to meet his friends in North Korea. While on his trip, he came bearing gifts for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, the most notable being a copy of Donald Trump’s 1987 book “The Art of the Deal.”
Trump would then have a number of notable Twitter spats with “rocket man,” and the rest is history. The barrage of aggression from Trump in response to North Korea’s threats forced Jong-un to realize that the jig is up, leading to the historic peace summit between the two leaders in June. Hilariously, in April, Rodman said he thinks reading “The Art of the Deal” resulted in the sudden change in heart from Jong-un. “I think he didn’t realize who Donald Trump was at that time until I guess he could read the book. I don’t want to take all the credit, I don’t wanna sit there and say ‘I did this,’ that’s not my intention.” Perhaps the book convinced Jong-un that he was outmatched.
Who knows if that played a role, but he wouldn’t be the only foreign leader to read The Art of the Deal ahead of negotiating with The Donald, it’s been learned.
According to the Daily Caller, “French President Emmanuel Macron read U.S. President Donald Trump’s book ‘The Art of the Deal’ prior to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in July, and even used techniques outlined in the book to advance dealmaking with Trump.”
Macron reportedly told Trump that he’d read the book during the summit after Trump asked him to recommend to the EU that it negotiate with the U.S. over their recently imposed tariffs. “I read ‘The Art of the Deal,’ Macron reportedly told Trump. “I know that we need to retaliate first so we have some leverage in the negotiation.” Other foreign leaders are reportedly attempting to learn Trump’s communication style and rhetoric to be able to better interact with it. There is, after all, a lot to learn about Trump’s style from the book. (RELATED: French President Macron Amused as Trump Smacks Down Reporter’s ‘Stupid Question’).
Published in 1987, Trump’s personality hasn’t changed at all since then, nor has his negotiation style as outlined in the book. In the book, Trump expands on eleven winning negotiating tactics: think big, protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself, maximize options, know your market, use leverage, enhance your location, get the word out, fight back, deliver the goods, contain costs, and have fun. While the book is about business, more specifically the real estate business, those negotiating tactics are applicable to any line of business (and of course, politics too!).
It’s undeniable that his tactics work. After all, when else has a non-politician steamrolled through an entire dais of qualified Republicans before winning the Presidency?
Ironically, the ghostwriter of “The Art of the Deal,” Tony Schwartz, vehemently opposes the Trump Presidency and says he regrets writing the book. Too bad for him, it only seems to be aiding the Trump Presidency.
