We all know how Donald Trump negotiates, partly because he ghostwrote several books on the subject, and partly because we’ve been watching it for the last two years. Here are some of his attitudes and tactics:
- Life is nothing more than an endless series of negotiations, in which the strong and clever prevail over the weak and foolish.
- Take maximum positions.
- Be unpredictable and keep your opponent off-balance.
- Don’t be afraid to pound the table or to walk away.
- Find, create, and use leverage to the maximum extent possible.
- If you somehow lose, spin it as a win.
The Democrats think the wall is stupid, expensive, and a very poor symbol for America. They are willing to trade it for something more valuable, however. Trump, for his part, is conflicted about the wall. On the one hand, he is afraid of losing people like Ann Coulter, and, for once, he has taken his promises on the subject literally. On the other hand, he has to know it won’t really work, so he doesn’t want to give up anything of real value in exchange for it. He’s also desperate for something he can call a “win.”
So how is this going? The Democrats’ approach has been Trumpian to the core. They are refusing to negotiate in the hope that negative polls will force Trump to surrender. Trump, for his part, is trying to create leverage by blaming the Democrats (not working), by threatening to close the border altogether, and by arguing that the employees he’s injuring are predominantly Democrats, anyway.
So how does this end? I only see two possibilities. First, Trump could make a deal for something the Democrats really value, such as relief for DREAMERs. Second, the Democrats could move slightly on the amount of money offered, and Trump will simply lie and call it a “wall” and, therefore, a “win.”
The second is more likely, but we’ll see.