Chaos Theory of Donald Trump: Sowing Confusion Through Tweets

US President-elect Donald Trump follows a pattern, confounding global media and world leaders with provocative statements on Twitter, at rallies or during television programs. His staff then attempts to reassure the public with interpretations and insistence that social media messages do not reflect official policy. “But nothing has created more consternation for many foreign policy experts than Trump’s assertion Thursday on Twitter that the country should ‘greatly strengthen and expand’ its nuclear capability,” write John Wagner and Abby Phillip. Trump supporters suggest the new style is more transparent, that the world must adjust to them. Others question if the president-elect understands the issues he is writing about. They describe the communication style as “confusing” and “governance by chaos.” A former assistant secretary of defense for public affairs suggests there can be benefits in strategic unpredictability and disruptions, but not in erratic behavior when global challenges require cooperation. US officials and global leaders alike have little choice but to study the patterns and determine how they might respond to future crises. – YaleGlobal