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Trump and the art of ‘dealism'

Trump and the art of ‘dealism'

Straits Times28-04-2025

In US President Donald Trump's mode of thinking, the means — which can be as outlandish or unrealistic as he likes — are justified by the ends, which are always the same: winning. PHOTO: DOUG MILLS/NYTIMES
'I never get too attached to one deal or one approach' – words attributed to a certain Donald J. Trump in 1987. 'For starters, I keep a lot of balls in the air, because most deals fall out, no matter how promising they seem at first.'
You might think it pointless to try to come up with answers to what exactly is going on in the mind of the US President by referring to a book ghostwritten for him some 38 years ago. And yet, perusing through The Art Of The Deal – as many people, friend and foe appear to have been doing of late – is the closest you can get to making sense of Mr Trump's mindset.
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