H.R. McMaster, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, recently remarked that the former president is susceptible to manipulation, particularly through flattery. Speaking on CBS‘ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, McMaster emphasized the need for Trump to have “a competent team around him” to help him navigate foreign policy and national security decisions.
During the interview, McMaster acknowledged that Trump is capable of making “really sound decisions” and disrupting areas in need of change. However, he noted that Trump often struggles to “hang on to those decisions and see them through.” According to McMaster, individuals who understand how to push Trump’s buttons, especially in ways that resonate with his political base, can influence his actions.
McMaster, a retired Army lieutenant general who served as Trump’s national security adviser from February 2017 to April 2018, was on the program to promote his new book, At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House. In the book, McMaster offers an insider’s perspective on his time in the White House, describing meetings there as “exercises in competitive sycophancy.”
In an excerpt published in the Wall Street Journal, McMaster expressed concern about how Russian President Vladimir Putin exploited Trump’s ego and insecurities. “Putin, a ruthless former KGB operator, played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery,” McMaster wrote, highlighting how the Russian leader manipulated Trump.
Despite this, Trump and his allies have argued that he is better equipped to handle leaders like Putin compared to his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, asserting that Trump projects strength and authority. Republican Senator Tom Cotton echoed this sentiment earlier this month, saying, “Vladimir Putin, just like the Ayatollahs, have played Joe Biden and Kamala Harris like a fiddle.” Trump himself has suggested that world leaders would not respect Harris if she were to be elected president.
During his conversation with host Margaret Brennan, McMaster reflected on whether he should document Trump’s relationship with Putin. “I struggled, Margaret, should I write about how Putin tried to manipulate President Trump, or not?” McMaster said. He ultimately decided to include it, reasoning that understanding these tactics might help a future President Trump resist such manipulation.
McMaster acknowledged that every presidential administration has individuals who attempt to manipulate the president. He noted that when Trump received smart advice, he often made good decisions. One example McMaster cited was Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the nuclear treaty with Iran in 2018, which McMaster believes was a significant achievement despite the chaotic narrative surrounding Trump’s first year in office.
Iran, McMaster warned, is now a growing threat, particularly as President Biden has moved away from some of Trump’s policies. He stressed the importance of confronting Iran directly, saying, “Iran is willing to expend every Arab life, every Palestinian life, every Lebanese life, in pursuit of its objective of destroying Israel.” McMaster criticized the reluctance to confront Iran, arguing that it gives the regime “license to escalate on their own terms, with impunity.”