For decades, critics dismissed President Donald J. Trump’s best-selling book The Art of the Deal as a relic of 1980s bravado — a flashy businessman’s self-congratulatory monologue. But over the past few weeks, President Trump turned that book into a living, breathing geopolitical masterclass, unfolding in real time before the eyes of billions.
What once was ridiculed as pageantry or puffery has now become a case study in how hardball tactics, strategic chaos, and relentless confidence can move mountains on the world stage.
Let’s be blunt: Whether one loves or loathes Trump, and for the record, I love Trump, The Art of the Deal just had its sequel — and the world was the stage.
President Trump’s negotiation strategy isn’t driven by white papers or 10-point plans — it’s driven by leverage and maximum pressure. And over the last several months, President Trump has shown exactly how to create, wield and capitalize on that leverage.
Whether it’s NATO, China, Ukraine or the Middle East, he has made it clear: The old order is over, and America will no longer play the polite pushover.
In his book, Trump explains that to win any negotiation, you must understand your leverage — and use it unapologetically. For too long, American leaders handed out foreign aid like candy, apologized for our strength, and let countries that depend on us mock us on the global stage.
Trump changed that dynamic the moment he reentered the political arena. NATO members, long delinquent on defense spending, suddenly “found” billions to bolster their militaries — before Trump even stepped back into the Oval Office.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s leverage. That’s the Art of the Deal.
Another Trump maxim: “Good publicity is preferable to bad, but from a bottom-line perspective, bad publicity is sometimes better than no publicity at all.” While the political class obsesses over decorum and optics, Trump understands the battlefield is psychological.
While legacy media clutched their pearls, Trump played a deeper game. In international diplomacy, confusion isn’t always a bug — it can be a feature.
Adversaries and allies alike didn’t know what Trump might do next. That uncertainty is a form of power.
When he declared that Europe must “pay their fair share or else,” it was branded as reckless by the left. But it worked. When he questioned endless aid to Ukraine, elite circles screamed betrayal. But now, real conversations are happening about peace talks and burden-sharing.
That’s not recklessness — that’s negotiation.
Trump’s critics mistake his confidence for delusion. But he’s always said: If you’re going to think anyway, you might as well think big.
In the latest international standoff, Trump made it clear: The U.S. is not an ATM. If Europe wants protection, it must step up. If China wants access, it must reciprocate. If global organizations want our money, they better deliver results.
These aren’t outrageous positions. They’re common sense — just expressed in the language of strength, not supplication.
What made this most recent geopolitical drama so captivating is that Trump didn’t just talk about these principles — he lived them. Every press conference, every bold statement, every dismissed “norm” was right out of The Art of the Deal.
He walked into a rigged game, flipped over the table, and said, “We’re playing my way now.”
And it’s working.
Perhaps the most misunderstood Trump tactic is his willingness to go to the brink. Critics call it dangerous. But Trump has always said that you don’t get the best deal by starting with what you’re willing to settle for.
When Reagan said “Tear down this wall,” the foreign policy class wrung their hands. When Trump says “America First,” they do the same. But both understood something simple: Clarity is not escalation. It’s negotiation. Real negotiation.
And let’s be honest — if playing nice had worked, we wouldn’t be in this mess. The polite diplomacy crowd had their turn. Trump just reminded the world what results actually look like.
What we’re witnessing isn’t chaos — it’s deal-making at the highest level. The old rules no longer apply, and that terrifies the establishment.
Trump didn’t just read The Art of the Deal — he wrote it. And now, he’s executing it on the grandest scale imaginable.
Whether you're in Brussels or Beijing, Davos or Moscow, the message is the same: America is back, and the deal is changing.
Call it populism. Call it nationalism. Call it Trumpism. But don’t call it accidental. This is The Art of the Deal — live and in color. And the world is watching.
Bryan E. Leib is the Managing Director of Henry Public Relations and a Senior Fellow with the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, Hungary. He’s on X @BryanLeibFL. Read Bryan E. Leib’s Reports — More Here