In July 2018, President Trump asserted at a press conference in Finland with President Putin that he was an advocate of “the powerful tradition of American diplomacy,” but his behavior bore no resemblance to thoughtful, well-prepared exemplars of that tradition like Jim Baker.3 Trump’s view of diplomacy was narcissistic, not institutional. Dialogue was unconnected to strategy; the president seemed oblivious to the reality that “getting along” with rivals like Putin was not the aim of diplomacy, which was all about advancing tangible interests. And “winging it” in crucial high-level encounters
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