Trump Plays Chicken With the Madman Theory
The incoming president's deliberate craziness will be a study in chaos — not strength.
But what kind of crazy?
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Here we go again: Donald Trump is preparing to move back into the Oval Office and once more boasting how “unpredictable” he is, convinced that posing as a “madman” makes him strong. That strength, he and his minions insist, will cow adversaries from Russia to China, Iran or North Korea; it’ll even discipline America’s friends if they’re misbehaving. Strength through madness, and peace through strength.
Asked whether he would use military force against China if it threatened Taiwan, Trump replies: “I wouldn’t have to, because he respects me and he knows I’m f***ing crazy.” He, in this case, is Chinese President Xi Jinping.