Back in the day Nixon and Kissinger supposedly had a similar act. Nixon was seen as unpredictable and Kissinger would be sympathetic and assure people this was the best deal they’d possibly get.
Trump knows how to win. He learned negotiations in real estate where your classic hardball types, maybe even Mafia at some point through unions, had to be dealt with. He probably appreciates that one scene from Back To School where Rodney Dangerfield tries to school his professor about the realities of setting up a business in the big city and concludes that the people you’ll have to deal with aren’t the boyscouts.
You beat me to it. Sounds like Nixon at his best.