Petraeus says Trump’s “madman” approach to North korea could be effective-Until it becomes disastrous
Retired general David Petraeus cautioned that President Donald Trump’s “madman” approach to dealing with a nuclear North Korea may actually be a legitimate strategy — though it could ultimately prove disastrous.
Speaking at the Intelligence Squared US debate at New York University with the Council on Foreign Relations’ Max Boot, Petraeus — who commanded US and NATO troops in Afghanistan and served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency under former President Barack Obama — discussed how there may actually be some “merit” to Trump’s madman stance, though it can easily “go too far” in a crisis.
The “madman” theory boils down to a negotiation strategy that keeps the opposing side “off-balance” through a lack of consistency, Petraeus said.