Former Secretary of State James Baker is, without question, one of the most respected men to have ever served in Washington. And Baker says he isn’t impressed with what he’s seen so far from Donald Trump when it comes to foreign policy.
In an interview with Politico, Baker was critical of how Trump has dealt with Mexico, Israel, our NATO allies, and the GOP-controlled Congress:
“We have allies that are just scared to death.”
While Baker admits he cast his ballot for Trump, he also noted:
“The White House that they have constructed has a lot of chiefs. In this White House, it seems to me, you’ve got at least four, maybe five, different power centers, so we are just going to have to wait and see how it works in practice.”
And while he isn’t pleased with what he’s seeing out of Trump to this point, Baker said he remains hopeful Trump will surround himself with people who have experience in the areas where he needs the best advice:
“Ronald Reagan’s administration had a lot of people in it who had been there before, and we knew how Washington worked and what didn’t work. Consultation and not surprising people is important if you want them to support the policy, and Ronald Reagan was very good at understanding that.”
Baker said Trump should keep in mind the title of his most famous book:
“The art of the deal is understanding what the political constraints are on the person across the table. That’s a really important relationship and we shouldn’t lose it.”
What are the chances that the bull-headed and vain alleged president will heed the advice of a true wise man like James Baker? Probably not very good. After all, Trump is convinced he’s an expert on all subjects. And that’s what makes him doubly ignorant and even more dangerous.
Featured Image Via ABC13
