Nixon’s theory on the power of unpredictability didn’t account for an actual madman adversary.
Foreign Policy
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Why does U.S. President Donald Trump do the things he does? In our latest collection, Foreign Policy contributors tackle the most urgent question in the world—and attempt to discern a through line in the U.S. president’s actions on the world stage. Subscribers can download and read this varied set of perspectives on the Trump way, including a Collection-exclusive article on madman theory, at their leisure.
Why does U.S. President Donald Trump do the things he does? In our latest collection, Foreign Policy contributors tackle the most urgent question in the world—and attempt to discern a through line in the U.S. president’s actions on the world stage. Download and read this varied set of perspectives on the Trump way, including a Collection-exclusive article on madman theory, at your leisure.
The cover for the May 2026 FP Collection titled The Trump Way shows an illustration of Donald Trump smiling with a winding red tie twisting through his head and around him.
List of The Trump Way articles
A lock icon and the words "FP Collections" atop an illustration against a dark background featuring the face of a man with stylized orange skin and bright yellow hair. A long, bright red necktie is wrapped multiple times around his head and face like bandages, covering his forehead, wrapping around his jaw, and partially obscuring his features. One of his blue eyes peeks out from between the red layers. He wears a white collared shirt and a dark suit jacket, with the base of the tie knotted at his collar.
Collection Exclusive: The Madman Strikes Back
Download the PDF to read: Nixon’s theory on the power of unpredictability didn’t account for an actual madman adversary.
An illustration shows a golden globe on a pedestal labeled "Trump." The globe has Donald Trump's hair atop it, seen from the side in profile.
So This, Finally, Is the ‘Trump Doctrine’
A property developer who sought to remake skylines in his image is now doing the same to the global order.
A drawn illustration of a Trump whirlwind on a red background
Four Explanatory Models for Trump’s Chaos
It’s clear that the second Trump administration is aiming for change—not inertia—in U.S. foreign policy.
Trump signs a document at a desk, next to a child also writing on a desk.
Trump Is Learning Geopolitics 101 in Real Time
A guide to pushing the U.S. president more quickly up his learning curve.
The logo of the “Board of Peace” presented during the World Economic Forum annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland.
The Look of Empire
Donald Trump’s dangerous fixation with imperial aesthetics.
President Donald Trump stops by the National Governors Association meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House February 27, 2017 Washington, DC.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. President Donald Trump clasp hands in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Nov. 18.
Beware of Trump’s Global Broligarchy
The president’s pay-to-play mentality is undermining U.S. foreign policy.
A propaganda poster depicts Chairman Mao inside the open top of a jeep reaching out toward an adoring crowd who wave red flags and hold little red books.
Is America Facing a ‘Cultural Revolution’?
What to make of the comparisons between Trump and Chairman Mao.
An operational timeline of a strike on Iran is displayed during a Pentagon news conference on June 22.
Trump’s Illiberal Interventionism
The president swore off building nations, not destroying them.
