Diplomats cautioned to treat Trump like 'a whimsical and unpredictable child'

In light of Donald Trump's contentious Oval Office meetings with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa, foreign leaders and diplomats are looking for a roadmap for how to deal with Donald Trump when they meet with him privately and before the cameras.

According to a report from CNN, second-term Trump is far different than the unsure Trump who won a surprising victory in 2016 and world leaders are having to adjust accordingly.

The report notes, "There are signs ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 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 'very firm' 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."

According to Gérard Araud, who served as France’s ambassador during Trump’s first presidency the first rule is, "You never contradict Trump publicly, because he will lose face and that’s something that he can’t accept.”

He added that during Trump's first presidency, the president was "insecure, he didn’t know the job. He hated to be patronized.”

Now he claims, "You should first be profusely grateful. You should really compliment the president. There is a sort of North Korean side in the White House. And you should let Trump really talk and talk.”

“A phone call with Trump. It’s a minimum 45 minutes, and you have at least 40 minutes of Trump," he joked.

Suggesting visitors treat Trump like “a whimsical and unpredictable child,” he warned, "Trump’s the only one making decisions,” he added, “and he’s making decisions from the hip.”

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