Behind the Curtain: 11 ways to influence Trump

There's a clear map for swaying President Trump — and it goes far beyond the cartoonish commentary that flattery and gifts are the surest ways.Why it matters: We talked to CEOs and world leaders who've had some success in working with Trump, as well as several aides watching the action inside the room. From their accounts, we stitched together the tricks for shifting or shaping Trump's views.State of play: In Trump's second term, he's more self-confident and more indifferent to the opinions of others. But the savviest internal operators still know how to retrofit logic and strategy so they're speaking fluent Trump — his love language.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is a master practitioner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is none too shabby.As far as foreign leaders go, Finnish President Alexander Stubb — a transatlantic triathlete straight out of central casting — has impressed Trump with his golf game, vivid history lessons and tough talk on Russia.For obvious reasons, none of our sources would discuss their Trump tradecraft on the record. But here are 11 top Trump tactics, given the known knowns of operating today. Each component or step was confirmed to us by multiple people who've seen success up close:Put a sock in it. There's nothing but downside to trashing Trump, his policies, or allies. There are simply too many Laura Loomers desperately seeking evidence of disloyalty. It's widely known internally that the boss feeds on evidence that someone is not right "on Trump."Put a sock in the mouths of others. You often pay for the sins of friends, partners or associates who trash Trump. One big job of ambassadors to the U.S. and lobbyists for big companies is to argue for silence among those above, and let things play out privately.Don't overreact. Many make the mistake of responding impulsively to Trump's impulsiveness. No matter what he says or claims to be doing, wait. It often takes days or weeks to realize if Trump will stick to something — or will simply change his mind or move on.Build two spheres of influence. Think of Trump's two ears. One is full of throwback MAGA purists, skeptical of anyone not purebred MAGA. You need to deeply understand this world and find — or hire — MAGA-savvy operators like Arthur Schwartz, Cliff Sims, Andy Surabian, Jeff Miller, Jason Miller, Chris LaCivita, Kellyanne Conway, Brian Ballard or Ches McDowell. The other ear hears the whispers of more conventionally rational actors like Rubio, Bessent or White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. These relationships tend to be peer-to-peer and require cultivation.Everything's negotiable. Trump lives for the transaction and public illumination of "big deals." You see this almost daily now, with Nvidia giving the U.S. a 15% cut of chip sales to China, or Apple's Tim Cook announcing another deal investing in American workers. You need to come to the table with a deal that's glossy and easy to explain, even if the details are flimsy.Remember, it's WWE or reality TV. Trump thinks about optics differently than, um, probably everyone else in business and politics. In his mind, it's all pageantry, posturing and PR — basically make-believe until a deal is done or dead. Shock and awe is a tactic. Outrage is good, or at least fine. In his mind, you only remember "the deal," not how you got there.Kiss ass — but in moderation. The cartoonish interpretation of Trump is to just come, like the three kings, bearing gifts, preferably of gold. There's some truth here. But Trump is better at sniffing out cringey obsequiousness than some think. He loves gifts but also exploits pure weakness. Grandeur in his love language. He loathes betas. The Saudis put on a masterclass with the palatial pomp and opulence during his state visit in May, when he secured $600 billion in investment commitments to the U.S. But pure boot-licking can backfire. The single most successful way to frame an idea for Trump is to show how it'll benefit him.Get face-to-face. Trump will say or write horrible things about people, nations or companies. But rarely in person, one-on-one. He wants to be liked and comes off kinder, more interested, less erratic when face-to-face. Just ask Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan: Trump said in a Truth Social post that he "must resign, immediately," then wrote four days later after meeting with him: "His success and rise is an amazing story." The trick is getting in the room, away from cameras and social media.Never assume the deal is fully done. What makes Trump maddening to deal with is his propensity to change his mind or mood — often on a dime, provoked by a random clip or conversation. A final deal is never truly final. Think of it as a happy moment in time — subject to change.Play the long game. None of these techniques is a one-off. We're not quite one-sixth of the way (213 days) through Trump's second term. The savviest leaders, companies and people tend to all 11 of these steps methodically and consistently over years, in bright times and bad.Pony up. Trump is aggressively fundraising for his MAGA Inc. super PAC and other political committees. Dinners sometimes cost $1 million a plate. The New York Times has extensively documented how contributors have received favorable treatment, including executives from crypto and healthcare companies.Zoom in: European leaders — bludgeoned by Trump in the early weeks of his presidency, and with more to lose than most — cracked the Trump code at the White House on Monday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky learned the lessons of February's Oval Office meltdown: He arrived in suit-like attire, thanked Trump a dozen times, played nice with MAGA-aligned journalists, and praised First Lady Melania Trump for speaking out about the war's toll on children.The rest of the delegation layered on flourishes tailored to Trump's style, recognizing "Dear Donald" as uniquely suited to assembling world leaders and achieving peace through strength.The Europeans sweetened the pitch with a glossy, round number: $100 billion in U.S. weapons, purchased by Ukraine and financed by Europe, in exchange for security guarantees.Axios' Zachary Basu, Marc Caputo and Dave Lawler contributed.Go deeper ... "Behind the Curtain: Rising Democratic MAGA movement."

Comments

World news

ICE deports 6-year-old girl and her mom to Ecuador as New York officials blast Trump: ‘Where is your humanity?’

Independent

Trump blares ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ and shows off umbrella flown from Mar-a-Lago in bonkers tour of White House Rose Garden

about 4 hours ago

Three children - all under the age of three - led cops to scene of parents’ murder-suicide while looking for food

Independent

Comments

Similar News

‘Don’t call this racist’: row grows over motives behind England flag campaign

UK falling behind EU on environmental rules amid post-Brexit rollback

Behind the Curtain: Democrats channel combative MAGA energy

UK is lagging behind rest of world in tackling Big Tech, says Fortnite chief

The serious trend behind MSNBC’s silly new name

Ethiopian migrants face kidnappings and death, leaving behind heartbroken families

Zelensky is coming to the White House with France and the UK standing behind him - but who’s side is Trump on?

Ontario man fined for camping too long on Crown land and leaving behind litter

She’s Got Next: Founders rally in Vancouver behind historic firsts in women’s sports

Lawyer insists foreign adversary is behind Canadian diplomats’ Havana Syndrome

‘Stunning survival story’: Police rescue California man trapped behind waterfall for two days

Mistrust and fear: The complex story behind strained Syria-Lebanon relations

State department papers left behind on Alaska hotel printer reveal sensitive Trump-Putin summit details

Six secrets behind Man Utd’s mood revolution: ‘Spirits are lifted’

Bodybuilder shares breast milk routine and six-meal-a-day diet behind unreal looks

Dramatic video shows hiker airlifted to safety after two days trapped behind waterfall

Human rights reckoning behind stopping ‘small boats’

‘ICE Barbie’ Kristi Noem claims 1.6M migrants have left the country. Even the group behind the number admits it may be overstated

Bessent says Japan is ‘behind the curve’ on interest rates

Peru’s Vizcarra becomes fourth former president behind bars

World news

ICE deports 6-year-old girl and her mom to Ecuador as New York officials blast Trump: ‘Where is your humanity?’

Pope Leo to live in Vatican ‘flatshare’ when he moves into papal apartments

Police investigate death of French online star who died during livestream after ‘10 days of torture’

Service dog reunited with blind owner two months after being stolen from Chicago backyard

Russian foreign minister warns West over excluding Moscow from Ukraine security discussions

Hurricane Erin gusts shut down East Coast beaches and swimmers from Carolinas to NYC to Cape Cod

Voters likely to back Reeves’s ‘mansion tax’ on homes above £1.5m, pollsters say

How to Halt the Flow of Weapons Arming Mexican Cartels

Trump's war on the Fed is escalating

Japan proposes 'economic zone' linking Indian Ocean to Africa, seeks greater role in the region

Myanmar's military retakes a strategic town 2 years after the resistance captured it

‘On behalf of the Islamic State’: Security video shows terror attack on Surrey bus

Brit found dead on cruise ship docked in Italy as fellow passengers try to save him

Bakery fan, 22, nearly throws up after realising what's in cheese and bacon roll

Denmark scraps book tax to fight 'reading crisis'

German controversy surrounds jail term for transgender far-right extremist

Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 US intelligence officials

Watch: Fire rages at Milan airport check-in desk

Monsoon Rains Bring Mumbai to a Standstill

Italians Pay Final Respects to Pippo Baudo, Their ‘King of Television’

Lost everything in a storm? Good luck. FEMA to require email address for aid as families rebuild after disasters

California resident tests positive for plague after camping near Lake Tahoe

The Latest: Texas GOP poised to approve map gerrymandered for their advantage

Moment 11-year-old girl learns she’s getting a new heart after almost a year of waiting

Israel gives final approval for controversial settlement plan

Dr. Phil sued by Christian broadcaster for ‘reprehensible conduct’ in $500 million deal: ‘Years-long fraudulent scheme’

Kid Rock hits back with lewd insult after Newsom mocks him with Trump-style post

US Navy ship USS New Orleans catches fire while docked in Japan

Jeanine Pirro will let people carry shotguns and rifles in DC - despite Trump’s crackdown - without fear of prosecution

‘We need to find him’: Family claims cops took five hours to respond when they reported their child missing

Where could Putin and Zelensky meet for Ukraine war summit?

Costco members sound off as Pepsi-to-Coke switch begins nationwide

ICE ‘used popular chain hotel’ to detain migrants despite company pledging not to participate

RFK Jr. finally reveals why he wears jeans to the gym

Building explodes after hit-and-run driver strikes gas line in dramatic video

Trump demands Lisa Cook, first black woman Fed Reserve member, ‘resign, now!!!’ and accuses her of mortgage fraud

Trump set to bar college graduates from debt relief program if employers undermine ‘American values’

Trump blares ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ and shows off umbrella flown from Mar-a-Lago in bonkers tour of White House Rose Garden

Three children - all under the age of three - led cops to scene of parents’ murder-suicide while looking for food

The nine holiday hotspots with current cases of deadly ‘suitcase viruses’

Putin's top diplomat warns of 'road to nowhere' in Ukraine security talks

Woman ‘threatened with rape and dragged to basement by police’ in Serbia protests

GCSE students could be ‘turned away’ from sixth forms unless they get top grades

I don’t want to go on holiday – I’m too worried about my tomatoes

Congo's draft peace deal with M23 seeks to return government control to rebel-held areas

China's Xi makes a rare visit to Tibet to mark 60 years of contested rule there

Lawyer for activist Jimmy Lai defends free speech in landmark Hong Kong trial

Manitoba RCMP say same man suspected in pair of Richer-area break-ins

Gavin Newsom not ‘surprised’ by GOP lawsuit to block redistricting plan

‘America we are BACK!’ White House launches official TikTok account

HHS workers accuse RFK Jr. of stoking violence against them

Voyeurism added to lengthy list of charges for Winnipeg man: police

Horror moment 'killer' dogs attack as residents hit out over string of maulings

Meredith Kercher’s family lawyer slams Amanda Knox over new Disney murder drama

Gavin Newsom is expertly trolling Fox News stars by mimicking Trump online — right down to the nicknames

What could US and European security guarantees look like for Ukraine?

Putin and Zelensky have only met once before – here’s what happened