Threaten partners with tariffs. The same thing you’ve been slapping them with for absolutely no reason since you came into office. The same things that these partners now just expect to have to deal with when your mood changes. The same thing that courts have decided are illegal and that you can’t actually enforce.
And that was before the Strait of Hormuz situation.
He can’t convince former allies to help out of goodwill and solidarity because he’s done everything possible to destroy that goodwill since he came into office.
He also can’t convince them to help out of fear of the consequences either, because he has already imposed those consequences.
In addition, even if he had a threat or a reward that was meaningful, the one thing that’s clear about Trump is that he never keeps his word. He doesn’t even adhere to treaties that are legally binding. So, if he promised something extremely valuable, he probably wouldn’t deliver. OTOH, if he threatened something extremely dire, he would probably chicken out.
Threaten partners with tariffs. The same thing you’ve been slapping them with for absolutely no reason since you came into office. The same things that these partners now just expect to have to deal with when your mood changes. The same thing that courts have decided are illegal and that you can’t actually enforce.
He also threatened to invade some of us.
And that was before the Strait of Hormuz situation.
He can’t convince former allies to help out of goodwill and solidarity because he’s done everything possible to destroy that goodwill since he came into office.
He also can’t convince them to help out of fear of the consequences either, because he has already imposed those consequences.
In addition, even if he had a threat or a reward that was meaningful, the one thing that’s clear about Trump is that he never keeps his word. He doesn’t even adhere to treaties that are legally binding. So, if he promised something extremely valuable, he probably wouldn’t deliver. OTOH, if he threatened something extremely dire, he would probably chicken out.