The world witnessed the quintessential President Donald Trump as he brokered major deals with leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. I’m reminded of my first meeting with President Trump at the White House during his first administration. The meeting started late because he was personally negotiating the cost of a military aircraft contract. It was clear then — as it is now — that this is the president’s “happy place.” And for good reason: over his 78 years, he’s been remarkably successful at it.
More than ever, it’s evident that President Trump views the world through the lens of a business deal — how to make the best one possible.
In his speech in Riyadh, the president rightly criticized the failures of previous U.S. approaches in the region:
“The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called nation builders, neocons, or liberal nonprofits. ... In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built. The interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they did not ..."
