Harvard professor Joseph Nye Jr. j has shared how Donald Trump can improve on his leadership and it all starts with a simple change in tactics – he suggested that the US President tries a softer approach
An expert says Donald Trump is missing one major instrument of power as he shares his thoughts on how the president leads the country.
Harvard professor emeritus Joseph Nye Jr. j believes that Trump could use a more positive approach to governing the United States. The expert took to CNN to discuss why it could be beneficial for the leader to try a different tactic, such as soft power.
The method looks at using a more encouraging approach, together with persuasion tactics, to achieve foreign policy objectives. CNN anchor and chief national security analyst, Jim Sciutto, turned to him and said: “You’ve argued that the secret for nations is to combine hard and soft power, but you say, in effect, that Trump is actually doing the opposite.
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In response, the professor said: “I’m afraid president Trump doesn’t understand soft power. If you think of power as sticks and carrots and honey, he leaves off the honey. But if you can have the three reinforce each other, you get a lot more done.”
He added: “You can also economise carrots and sticks when you have the attraction of honey.
“So when you cancel something like USAID humanitarian assistance, or you silence the voice of America, you deprive yourself of one of the major instruments of power.”
It comes as dozens of USAID contracts were slashed by the US leader, causing further challenges in a country vulnerable to climate change’s extremes.
The decision shows a stark difference to 2023, when the US gave more than 60 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to the Central American nation.
On Tuesday, Trump marked the 100th day of his second term — yet spent much of his rally marking it in campaign mode, fixated on past grudges and grievances.
He repeatedly mocked his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, attacking his mental acuity and even how he appears in a bathing suit.
He again uttered the lie that he won the 2020 presidential election. And he attacked polling and news coverage not favourable to him.
Trump continued to return to immigration, his signature issue, at the rally that marked his largest political event since returning to the White House — boasting about his administration’s “mass deportation” efforts that have sent arrests for illegal crossings along the US-Mexico border plummeting.
Trump used his speech to defend his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and auto parts — hours after the White House announced it was softening those.
“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said. He later added: “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.”