Trump’s Negotiating Style as President-Elect: Lessons from Early Moves

In August 2025, Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation revisited Donald Trump’s actions in the weeks between his election and inauguration. The original article—read it in full here—explores how these early moves offered insight into his approach as a negotiator. Below is a brief summary of their observations.

Summary:

• Breaking Protocol: Trump took calls from world leaders in unusual order, skipped standard identity checks, and engaged in unusually casual exchanges. His inclusion of Ivanka Trump in a meeting with Japan’s prime minister, during her active business dealings, raised questions about conflicts of interest.

• High-Stakes Moves: An unprecedented call with Taiwan’s president challenged decades of U.S. policy toward China. While some saw strategic intent, others warned it risked diplomatic fallout.

• Small Concessions, Big Optics: In the Carrier jobs negotiation, Trump secured partial job retention in exchange for state incentives, illustrating a pattern of settling for limited substantive wins paired with public displays of success.

For the full analysis and expert commentary, visit the Program on Negotiation’s original article here.