OpEd: Trump and the ‘Mad-Man Walk’ Technique

By Yakov Nayerman

SAN DIEGO — When I trained my dog Lily not to pull on the leash, I used an entertaining and surprisingly effective method called the “mad-man walk.” As soon as she started pulling in any direction, I would abruptly stop and lead her the opposite way. The goal was to teach her that pulling would get her nowhere. Without warning, I’d switch direction—turn left, turn right, double back, or even walk in circles. To an outside observer, I must have looked completely crazy. That’s why it was called the “mad-man walk.” But it worked: in just four sessions, Lily learned to heel.

In February, President Trump announced a major tariff hike. In March, it was reversed. In April, tariffs on Chinese goods were raised to 125%, but by May, they were reduced to 10%. Later, the administration threatened 100% tariffs on foreign films—but never followed through. At the end of April, Trump gave Putin “two weeks” to consider a peace plan—or ELSE. Four weeks later, Trump gave him another two.

But the biggest mad-man maneuvers are in the Middle East. First, Trump demanded that Hamas release all hostages—warning that if they didn’t, “all hell will break out.” Now the U.S. is pushing Israel toward a ceasefire after only a partial release of a few hostages. There was massive bombing in Yemen, followed by a ceasefire with the Houthis that didn’t even require them to stop attacking Israel. There were threats against Qatar for financing Hamas and supporting pro-Hamas groups in the U.S.—and then trillion-dollar deals, warm hugs, and even acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet as a gift. The administration sharply criticized the previous Iran deal—only to now pivot toward direct nuclear talks with Iran, similar to Biden’s approach, and block Israel from striking Iranian nuclear facilities.

This pattern of abrupt policy shifts, this whiplash of threats and retreats, closely mirrors the unpredictability of my “mad-man walk.”
Okay. I used it to train my dog. Who is our administration trying to train?

The key to successful training is clarity of purpose. When Lily walked beside me (“heeling”), I praised her—“Good girl!”—and rewarded her with treats. She quickly understood what I wanted.

But what’s the goal of Trump’s wild swings? What’s the message?

Apparently, I’m a much slower learner than my dog—because I still don’t get it. Do you?

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Yakov Nayerman is a freelance writer based in San Diego