PARIS (CNN) 鈥� Foreign leaders鈥� visits to the White House used to be occasions for face-to-face diplomacy, allied backslapping and polite photo ops.
But President Donald Trump鈥檚 public pillorying of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in February has upended Oval Office norms, sparking panic among some foreign leaders.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not acting all that thankful,鈥� Trump scolded Zelensky, with Vice President JD Vance piling on in front of the international press.
As the Ukraine leader pushed for more help in the country鈥檚 war with Russia, Trump at one point threatened to give up on Ukraine entirely, the meeting devolving into little more than a shouting match.
Foreign dignitaries took that visit 鈥� as well as Trump鈥檚 unfounded accusations of genocide against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and tense exchanges with Canada鈥檚 Prime Minister Mark Carney 鈥� as a sign that Oval Office visits in Trump鈥檚 second term called for a different type of preparation.
Five former senior diplomats who have handled preparations for these types of meetings likened Trump鈥檚 White House to a boxing ring or a TV set.
The dignitaries said leaders should now mentally prepare for diplomatic 鈥渏iu jitsu,鈥� trolling or even 鈥淣orth Korean鈥� style adulation. And never, ever say Trump is wrong in front of a camera.
鈥淵ou never contradict Trump publicly, because he will lose face and that鈥檚 something that he can鈥檛 accept,鈥� said G茅rard Araud, who was France鈥檚 ambassador to the US during Trump鈥檚 first presidency.
There are signs ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 planned White House visit Monday that even he is looking to avoid any chance of a fight, despite his close relationship with Trump. After Trump said Tuesday that he planned to be 鈥渧ery firm鈥� with Netanyahu on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, an Israeli official indicated they accepted the terms of a 60-day ceasefire proposal about 24 hours later.
Trump 2.0
For Lithuania鈥檚 former foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Oval Office visits from foreign leaders are 鈥渃hances for Trump to portray himself as this alpha leader, you know, pushing aside others and belittling others,鈥� he told CNN. 鈥淭his is a show.鈥�
Trump himself indicated the last point as his meeting with Zelensky ended, quipping: 鈥淭his is going to be great television.鈥�
Arturo Sarukh谩n, Mexico鈥檚 former ambassador to Washington, described the meetings as 鈥渄iplomatic vandalism and trolling.鈥�
Foreign dignitaries say Trump 2.0 is at a different level even compared to his first term. In 2017 he was, 鈥渓earning the ropes of government. And I think he was learning the boundaries of his power,鈥� said Joe Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the US.
Ex-French envoy Araud said that Trump in 2017 was 鈥渋nsecure, he didn鈥檛 know the job. He hated to be patronized.鈥�
Trump has also acknowledged that he鈥檚 much more confident in exercising his powers the second time around 鈥� and he鈥檚 made it clear he鈥檚 less concerned about potential limitations or criticisms.
The returned president is 鈥渇ar more overtly transactional,鈥� Hockey said, as well as 鈥渁 far more formidable negotiator.鈥� Since January, allies and foes alike have been subjected to unprecedented tariffs and the ignominy of placating Trump for preferable trade terms.
And it鈥檚 rattled some leaders, according to Araud: 鈥淓uropean leaders especially are in a sort of denial. They are panicking.鈥�
Break from the past
Glitzed out in , the Oval Office exudes Trump, its walls reflecting his particular vision of US history. His office is as much showplace as workplace.
That鈥檚 not the only way the office has changed.
Unlike the bureaucratic machine of past presidencies, the Trump White House functions more like a royal family or a king鈥檚 court, Araud said. Without 鈥減ersonal access鈥� to Trump or his close family, leaders won鈥檛 make much progress on requests. And even if heads of state do get that one-on-one time, 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e going to influence the guy.鈥�
During past administrations, 鈥渢here were rules,鈥� Araud added. Meetings at the White House, which typically involve months of planning, were seen as a unique opportunity for foreign leaders to meet with the US president 鈥� and be seen doing so.
鈥淵ou were supposed to respect some basic decency,鈥� he said.
Such visits were 鈥渁bout treating foreign leaders with dignity and respect and, frankly, making sure that these visits are a win-win for both sides,鈥� Rufus Gifford, who was the US ambassador to Denmark until 2017 and chief of diplomatic protocol under former President Joe Biden, told CNN. As chief of protocol, Gifford was responsible for coordinating meetings between the US president and foreign leaders.
鈥淥ur advice, very simply, was take advantage of the very few moments that you have,鈥� Gifford added. 鈥淭his should be a nice meeting where you get to know each other as human beings.鈥�
Sarukh谩n, one of Mexico鈥檚 ambassadors to the US during the Bush and Obama presidencies, said that his team would provide icebreakers and areas of shared interest to their president ahead of a visit 鈥� anything to lubricate the wheels of diplomacy.
Famously, Mexican President Vicente Fox visited former President George W. Bush鈥檚 Texas ranch for one of their meetings, after Bush came to Fox鈥檚 ranch in Mexico years earlier. Sarukh谩n described pictures from the visits as 鈥渧isual gold,鈥� adding they were the product of long discussions between both president鈥檚 teams.
And ahead of former President Barack Obama鈥檚 inauguration, Sarukh谩n recalled the Mexican embassy put on a special exhibition of jewels of Mexican art in DC, where the Obamas could meet Mexico鈥檚 then-President Felipe Cald茅ron.
鈥淚t was an Olympic goal, to use a soccer term,鈥� Sarukh谩n said.
Words of advice
鈥淭hink in terms of television鈥� is how Landsbergis advised preparing for a meeting with the former reality TV star president.
He said that world leaders also have their home audience鈥檚 public perception in mind. Pushing back or even fact checking Trump may be risky, but it isn鈥檛 necessarily a losing strategy, Landsbergis said. Similarly, Sarukh谩n said it can be advantageous for leaders to show they can handle some 鈥渏iu jitsu鈥� with the US president.
鈥淭hey should not have an expectation that it鈥檚 going to go smoothly,鈥� said Gifford, the Biden White House official who also worked on Kamala Harris鈥� campaign. 鈥淒onald Trump thrives on keeping these foreign leaders off balance.鈥�
Sometimes, that manifests in actual physicality 鈥� often involving aggressive handshakes. That presented a personal challenge for Araud when France鈥檚 Emmanuel Macron met with Trump for the first time in 2017.
鈥淏eware. He is going to be brutal with your hand. Be ready to resist,鈥� Araud warned.
He now counsels subordination.
鈥淵ou should first be profusely grateful. You should really compliment the president. There is a sort of North Korean side in the White House,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd you should let Trump really talk and talk.鈥�
鈥淎 phone call with Trump. It鈥檚 a minimum 45 minutes, and you have at least 40 minutes of Trump.鈥�
Gifford warned against trying to insincerely charm Trump. 鈥淭hat works in the moment. It does not work long-term. And he will play you.鈥�
Risk vs. reward
鈥淚 don鈥檛, in my mind, understand why foreign leaders keep coming to the Oval Office thinking that it鈥檚 the same as it has been. It鈥檚 just not,鈥� Gifford told CNN, adding that Trump doesn鈥檛 value alliances as past US leaders have.
Despite the threat of an Apprentice-style ambush beamed live to the world, Landsbergis reckons the reward of an Oval Office visit outweighs the risk of a Trump smackdown.
It鈥檚 the 鈥渙nly chance鈥� for a small country like Lithuania to transmit important messages or risk assessments 鈥� for example, about Russia鈥檚 aggression 鈥� directly to Trump.
But navigating the minefield of Oval Office barbs and fraught televized moments with Trump requires treating the most powerful man on earth like 鈥渁 whimsical and unpredictable child,鈥� Araud said.
鈥淭rump鈥檚 the only one making decisions,鈥� he added, 鈥渁nd he鈥檚 making decisions from the hip.鈥�
The-CNN-Wire
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