FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order to create a White House Olympics task force to handle security and other issues related to the LA 2028 Summer Olympics, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
President Ronald Reagan was fond of saying that someone who agreed with him 70 percent of the time was a 70 percent ally rather than a 30 percent enemy. President Donald Trump, in contrast, demands unquestioning loyalty and obedience and can angrily turn against someone who questions anything he says or does — whether it's a Republican governor, a CEO, or a pundit for the conservative National Review.
In an article published on August 20, Axios reporters Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen lay out 11 tactics for influencing Trump.
"There's a clear map for swaying President Trump — and it goes far beyond the cartoonish commentary that flattery and gifts are the surest ways," VandeHei and Allen explain. "Why it matters: We talked to CEOs and world leaders who've had some success in working with Trump, as well as several aides watching the action inside the room. From their accounts, we stitched together the tricks for shifting or shaping Trump's views."
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The Axios journalists continue, "State of play: In Trump's second term, he's more self-confident and more indifferent to the opinions of others. But the savviest internal operators still know how to retrofit logic and strategy so they're speaking fluent Trump — his love language."
The tactics, according to VandeHei and Allen, include: (1) "put a sock in it," (2) "put a sock in the mouths of others," (3) "don't overreact," (4) "build two spheres of influence," (5) understanding that "everything's negotiable," (6) "remember, it's WWE or reality TV," (7) "Kiss a—— but in moderation," (8) "get face-to-face," (9) "never assume the deal is fully done," (10) "play the long game," and (11) "pony up."
By "put a sock in it," VandeHei and Allen are saying that overt, flat-out criticism of Trump will never persuade him.
"There's nothing but downside to trashing Trump, his policies, or allies," the Axios reporters observe. "There are simply too many Laura Loomers desperately seeking evidence of disloyalty. It's widely known internally that the boss feeds on evidence that someone is not right 'on Trump'…. You often pay for the sins of friends, partners or associates who trash Trump. One big job of ambassadors to the U.S. and lobbyists for big companies is to argue for silence among those above, and let things play out privately."
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But according to VandeHei and Allen, Trump doesn't respect people who are overly obsequious.
"The cartoonish interpretation of Trump is to just come, like the three kings, bearing gifts, preferably of gold," VandeHei and Allen write. "There's some truth here. But Trump is better at sniffing out cringey obsequiousness than some think. He loves gifts but also exploits pure weakness. Grandeur in his love language. He loathes betas."
VandeHei and Allen continue, "The Saudis put on a masterclass with the palatial pomp and opulence during his state visit in May, when he secured $600 billion in investment commitments to the U.S. But pure boot-licking can backfire. The single most successful way to frame an idea for Trump is to show how it'll benefit him."
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Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen's full article for Axios is available at this link.