“You ever notice how Trump always seems to control the conversation?”
Sam looked up from his coffee, smirking. “I used to think it was just noise,” he said. “But it’s not, is it?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s strategy, leverage, and spectacle. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to recognize what he’s doing.”
“Alright, break it down for me.”
Anchoring: Start with the Absurd
“Remember when he said he wanted to buy Greenland?” I asked.
Sam laughed. “Yeah, that was ridiculous.”
“Was it? Or was it anchoring?”
He frowned, considering it. “You mean like in negotiations, when you start with something extreme so anything less feels reasonable?”
“Exactly,” I said. “He throws out something wild – like deporting millions overnight or pulling the U.S. out of NATO – not because he expects it to happen, but because it shifts the whole conversation. Now, what seemed radical yesterday feels like a compromise today.”
“So when someone starts at a 10, they don’t expect to get a 10. They just don’t want to land at a 2.”
“Bingo.”
Sam leaned back. “Okay, but what about when he’s all over the place? One day he loves someone, the next he’s tearing them apart.”
The Chaos Factor: Control Through Unpredictability
“That’s controlled chaos,” I said. “It keeps people on edge.”
“But that doesn’t sound like a strategy.”
“It is,” I countered. “If you can’t predict what someone will do next, you’re always reacting. And if you’re always reacting, you’re never in control.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “So it’s like being a boxer who never throws the same punch twice. The other guy can’t get into rhythm.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And the moment they think they have him figured out, he flips the script again.”
Symbols Over Substance: The Power of the Crowd
“Alright,” Sam said, “but what about the Gulf of America thing? That’s just trolling, right?”
“No, it’s branding,” I explained. “Trump understands that people don’t connect with policy – they connect with symbols. Walls, flags, slogans, renaming things. These aren’t details; they’re signals. He’s not talking to policymakers. He’s talking to his audience.”
Sam frowned. “So the people dissecting policy details are missing the point?”
“Completely,” I said. “They think they’re playing chess while he’s playing professional wrestling.”
Provocation as Leverage: The 51st State Gambit
“Okay, what about calling Canada the 51st state? That’s just nonsense.”
“Provocation,” I said. “It forces a reaction.”
“But it’s not real,” Sam argued.
“That’s the point,” I said. “When you provoke someone, they have to respond. And the moment they do, they’re playing your game. He’s not asking Canada to join the U.S. – he’s using the idea to create leverage elsewhere. Maybe in trade talks, maybe with voters, maybe just to dominate the headlines for a day.”
Sam exhaled. “It’s like throwing a rock in a pond just to see where the ripples land.”
“Exactly. And while everyone’s busy reacting, he’s already moved on to the next thing.”
The “Buy Canada” Frenzy: Trump’s Unintentional Nation-Building
Sam tapped his fingers on the table. “You know what’s wild? Somehow, he’s got Canada more patriotic than ever.”
I nodded. “Yeah, the ‘Buy Canada, Be Canadian’ sentiment is exploding.”
“And that’s because of him?” Sam asked.
“Indirectly, yeah. His whole America First strategy made Canadians suddenly hyper-aware of what it means to be Canadian. When he threatened tariffs, when he insulted Trudeau, when he made it clear the U.S. didn’t need Canada – what happened? Canadians doubled down on their own identity.”
Sam smirked. “So, in a weird way, Trump made Canada more Canadian.”
“That’s the irony,” I said. “The more he pushes, the more people define themselves in opposition to him.”
Divide and Conquer: Fracturing the Global Order
Sam leaned forward. “Okay, but what about how he’s handling the international scene? The tariffs, Ukraine, China – what’s the endgame?”
“Control through division,” I said. “He doesn’t want global unity. He wants chaos. Because in chaos, the U.S. stays on top.”
“How?”
“Look at Ukraine,” I said. “He undermines NATO’s commitment, which forces European countries to scramble for a backup plan. Suddenly, they’re not focused on strengthening their own power—they’re busy reacting to the uncertainty he created.”
Sam nodded slowly. “And the trade war?”
“Same thing. The tariffs aren’t just about economics. They’re about forcing countries to take sides. Are you with the U.S. or against it? He makes them pick a lane, and in doing so, he ensures they never fully align with each other.”
Owning the Narrative: The Real Endgame
“So what’s the play here?” Sam asked. “What’s the bigger picture?”
“Control,” I said simply. “Every statement, every stunt, every headline – it’s about keeping the spotlight where he wants it. He’s not negotiating with his political counterparts. He’s negotiating with the public.”
“You mean his base?”
“Not just them. The media, his opponents, the world. He throws out a statement, everyone scrambles to respond, and by the time they’ve fact-checked it, he’s already onto the next move.”
Sam rubbed his temples. “It’s exhausting just thinking about it.”
“And that’s the point,” I said. “He’s setting the pace. If you’re always reacting, you’re never leading.”
The Trump Playbook: How He Shapes the Game
Sam leaned back. “Alright, sum it up. What’s the Trump playbook?”
I smirked. “Fine. Here’s how it works:”
- Start with the extreme – Make outrageous demands so anything less feels reasonable.
- Keep them guessing – Flip positions so opponents are always reacting.
- Use symbols, not policies – People connect with emotions, not legislation.
- Provoke to control – Force a response, then dictate the terms.
- Exploit identity politics – Make people define themselves by what they oppose.
- Divide to conquer – Fracture alliances so no one else gains power.
- Own the narrative – Control the conversation so no one controls you.
The Real Lesson: Seeing the Game for What It Is
“So what do you do about it?” Sam asked.
“You recognize it for what it is,” I said. “You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to play it. But if you don’t see the strategy behind it, you’ll always be a step behind.”
“You mean don’t take the bait.”
“Not just that. Understand why the bait is there. What’s the real move behind the move? What’s the actual goal? That’s where the real game is played.”
Sam sat back, thinking it over.
Trump’s 2025 playbook isn’t about policy in the traditional sense. It’s about shaping the battlefield before the fight even starts. While everyone else is debating the details, he’s already moved the conversation to where he wants it.
“So what you’re saying is, whether you love him or hate him …”
“You have to acknowledge that he’s playing a different game.”
“And the only way to not lose … is to recognize the rules.”