Donald Trump is known for promoting himself as the ultimate deal-maker. His 1987 best-selling book, “The Art Of The Deal,” which was ghostwritten, turned him from a New York City elite into a well-recognized figure across the nation.

This prominence helped him secure a role as the host of “The Apprentice,” which eventually became his stepping stone to being elected President of the United States twice.

However, not everyone views Trump as an exemplary negotiator. Tony Schwartz, the actual author of “The Art Of The Deal,” now suggests it should have been titled ‘The Sociopath’.

After his Non Disclosure Agreement expired, Bill Pruitt, a producer on the first season of “The Apprentice,” revealed that “he was not, by any stretch, a successful New York real estate tycoon like we portrayed him to be.”

John Miller, the chief marketing officer for NBC responsible for shaping Trump’s TV persona, admits “we created a monster.” He says despite Trump’s series of failures and bankruptcies, “people thought he would be a good president because I portrayed him as a credible businessman.”

Trump’s re-election victories are undeniable. Yet, questions persist about the quality of his deal-making, particularly considering the global economic damage from his tariff policies, followed quickly by his reluctant climbdown from these measures.

While he is adept at projecting confidence for the cameras, how effective is Donald Trump as a deal-maker?

Considering the situation after the past decade, how should the 75 nations that Trump says are eager to negotiate with him proceed?

Trump’s reversal of his large-scale “reciprocal” tariffs brought relief. His closest advisers claimed the volatility he caused in the markets was part of a strategic plan, asserting that the president always intended to reverse, despite his prior claims to the contrary.

Trump’s tariff climbdown, announced on his Truth Social platform, contradicted the US trade secretary Howard Lubnick, who had insisted, “there is no postponing; they are definitely going to stay in place for days and weeks.”

Peter Navarro, the architect of the tariff strategy, had to retract his statements, but as Elon Musk described him, “he is a moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

After withdrawing his tariffs, Trump appeared on television and boasted, “This is one of the greatest days in American economic history we have had. I’ll tell ya, all the nervous Nellies on Wall Street who try to undermine us consistently underestimate the power of the president to negotiate.”

Flanked by a visibly uncomfortable treasury secretary Scott Bessent, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt chided, “many of you in the media clearly missed The Art Of The Deal”. She claimed the president’s tactics had cornered China and left the rest of the world seeking deals with the US, arguing, “and they need this president in the Oval Office to talk to them.”

Leavitt seemed to be leveraging a key “Art Of The Deal” tactic: start with extreme demands so that when negotiations occur, the outcome still favors you.

Following this rationale, the major individual tariffs have been put on hold, but the across-the-board 10% tariff remains. This structural shift supports Trump’s plan to have Americans pay taxes through their purchases rather than through their earnings.

However, Trump’s quick retreat and the “art of the deal” being used to justify a new ideal of “reciprocal trade” raises questions. Just like with his initial Ukraine strategies, he make concessions without getting anything in return.

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Markets, especially government bond markets, indicate that this president lacks the muscle to enforce his decisions. Trading partners may flatter him but will negotiate down from what concessions are offered. For instance, the UK and European Union are likely to seek lower tariffs on their automobiles, steel, and iron, which the US requires and will find challenging to replace.

Trump and his supporters are now trying to maintain face by saying that his actions were aimed at confronting China. Tariffs against China, America’s only serious trade and military rival, have reached an extraordinary 145%. While China has responded, their level remains well below American tariffs.

Given the global sentiment against initiating a trade war with China and considering countries like Vietnam have little to gain from Trump’s approach, he has inadvertently given China the opportunity to present itself as the guardian of international trade rules, regardless of its oppressive and anti-democratic policies.

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China has significantly reduced its trade dependence on the US in recent years, and its government is not answerable to voters. Donald Trump may find that the US lacks the influence over China that it assumes.

Fundamentally, Trump seeks a one-on-one meeting with President Xi as the ultimate deal-maker. The risk is that to uphold this image, he once again could make concessions he shouldn’t, such as sacrificing Taiwan’s interests.

The US Congress, predominantly Republican and passive, has declined to challenge Trump’s questionable use of executive power, no matter how illogical or incompetent.

The only reason he reversed his tariffs was due to uncontrollable market forces. He had destabilized the US economy significantly, and many of his wealthy allies were losing money. They likely recovered most of their losses in the subsequent surge in the stock market.

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Democrats now demand an investigation into possible insider trading by Trump and his associates – but it’s unlikely that this inquiry will make significant progress in Trump’s America.

Perhaps the secret to negotiating with Donald Trump lies in the understanding that typical standards of statecraft and integrity do not apply.

He does not genuinely care about the significant issues at stake or even understand them. These are secondary to the deal he wishes to make. The art is to ensure there’s a “gain” for him personally in any agreement. Money and discomforting flattery are both acceptable forms of tribute to this president.