European leaders seek to perfect the art of Trump whispering
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited Washington this week, President Trump invited him earlier than scheduled into the White House, where the two men talked alone for over an hour. Macron pressed Trump to provide a U.S.
military “backstop" for the thousands of troops that the U.K. and France are willing to deploy in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal the U.S. is negotiating with Russia, a senior official said.
They didn’t get into the details, the official said, but Trump was open to the idea and Macron left Washington believing he had an understanding with Trump. “We work very well together," Macron said later as he sat down with Trump in the Oval Office before a cluster of reporters. Trump’s drive to negotiate a swift end to the war in Ukraine, and his desire for rapprochement with Russia, has leaders across Europe trying their hand at a skill they consider vital to the Continent’s security: Trump whispering.
Trump whispering is a practice that takes many forms—flattery, reverse psychology and pomp—but its ultimate aim is to guide him toward your foreign-policy goals. Politicians who pride themselves on Trump whispering say it starts by understanding his transactional instincts. Framing geopolitical issues in real-estate terms is one technique.
So is appealing to Trump’s sense of status among world leaders. During Trump’s first term, Macron invited him to Bastille Day celebrations in 2017, making him the guest of honor at France’s annual military parade. The gesture spawned an initial bromance between the men that was expressed in backslaps, hugs and air kisses.
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