Trump perfects the art of making powerful people squirm on camera
In each instance, TV cameras were rolling, providing coverage of Trump's target squirming or arguing with the president of the United States.
One of the hallmarks of Trump's second term has been his ability to put others on the spot, forcing them to either think quickly or react in a way that might give him an advantage or new insight into the leader. He often deploys the technique against officials who are accustomed to niceties in public (and knife-fighting behind closed doors), making diplomacy and negotiations into something closer to a reality TV show.
'What do you think, huh? This is—this is going to be great television, I will say that," Trump said to reporters after chastising Zelensky in February.
Those who have worked with Trump for years explain the behavior in various ways. Particularly when meeting with foreign leaders, Trump will absorb a briefing ahead of time, but has what one former administration official from the first term called 'an innate feel" for meetings. He likes to push leaders, probe for weaknesses and determine whether he can catch them off guard.
Trump is confident in his own ability to adapt and freestyle, the person said.
A current White House official said that a lot of times before the surprise, the president says he simply wants the public to see what's going on behind closed doors. Part of it is about transparency, the official said.
Trump's surprise visit to the Fed on Thursday served two purposes: add public pressure on Powell to lower interest rates and put a spotlight on central-bank building renovations as a way to undercut the Fed chair.
Recently, Trump has been elevating a theory that the pricey overhaul to Fed buildings in Washington could be a way to embarrass Powell and even get rid of him. When Trump learned that administration officials were going to tour the building, he was eager to participate himself, according to a person familiar with the matter. He brought along an estimate of construction costs, which he pulled out of his suit pocket in dramatic fashion, handing it to Powell in front of cameras.
A meme later circulated online of a bespectacled Powell studying the piece of paper.
The results of Trump's tactics have caused unexpected outcomes: Zelensky lost his cool after being prodded by Vance and later Trump, causing a fissure in the U.S.-Ukrainian relationship that took weeks to get back on track. The film shown to the South African president alleging evidence of white genocide generated a separate news cycle about how the White House took video footage out of context.
In May, President Trump handed articles to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that he said documented the killing of white South Africans.
Knowing that Trump could unexpectedly put them on the spot, world leaders have traded tips on what to expect at the White House and have studied recent Oval Office meetings. After Trump invited the press to a closed-door lunch with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, she passed along advice to European colleagues to be ready for surprises, according to people familiar with the matter.
But not everyone comes prepared for Trump's guerrilla diplomacy.
In April, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was taken by surprise when White House aides unexpectedly brought her into the Oval Office as Trump signed executive orders opening investigations into political critics with a room full of reporters. The Democratic star tried to hide behind a binder, but Trump called on her to speak.
'I was brought in for what I thought was a one-on-one meeting, and when I walked in the room I quickly realized that was not the case, and I grabbed one of his staffers and was like, 'what is happening here?'" Whitmer said on 'Pod Save America." The governor said at one point she left the Oval Office to do damage control and told her staff she didn't want to be associated with Trump's executive order.
When Trump visited Michigan later that month for a celebration marking his first 100 days in office at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Whitmer was once again taken off guard when he invited her to the lectern.
For Trump, the surprises help him drive a narrative or unnerve his rivals. During the 2016 campaign, Trump and his advisers, including Steve Bannon, caught Hillary Clinton and her campaign off guard ahead of a presidential debate by holding a press conference with Trump and four women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual abuse. The women were then seated in the audience, and in view of TV cameras.
Write to Meridith McGraw at Meridith.McGraw@WSJ.com and Annie Linskey at annie.linskey@wsj.com.
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