After 15 months in the White House, it has become clear there is no correct way for American allies to deal with President Donald Trump. And pretty much every tactic has been tried.
Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, sped down to Mar-a-Lago soon after the election, where he gamely played a round of golf. Unfortunately, it didn't win him any special consideration when Trump announced sweeping aluminum and steel tariffs earlier this year, nor did it prevent the President from embarrassing him with inopportune tweets.
Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain also rushed to Washington to play nice and call for a "special relationship" just after the election, but she too has been attacked directly on the President's Twitter feed; worse, her performance at the White House - including a photograph holding the President's hand - has been regularly mocked by her own compatriots ever since.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor - too earnest and probably too horrified even to attempt to charm the American President - set out to woo his daughter. She invited Ivanka Trump to appear at a panel discussion alongside herself and several other distinguished female politicians; the result was that the President's daughter appeared foolish and out of place.
Others have given up being nice. Unable to keep up pretenses, the Prime Minister of Australia squabbled with Trump, who was having trouble understanding his immigration policy. That phone call ended badly: "I have been making these calls all day," said the American president, "and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous." The President of Mexico cancelled a visit, and now raises his popularity ratings by openly criticising the American counterpart, as do most other politicians in Mexico.
