President Donald Trump is obsessed with being laughed at. He mentioned it more than 50 times during the 2016 campaign trail, saying that the world was "laughing" at the United States or claiming that people wouldn't laugh at the U.S. when he is president. It became clear this week that it was another "promise made" and broken by Trump as world leaders were caught laughing at Trump for humiliating the United States. The president was so miffed that he ditched his final events and left the NATO summit early.
It has already become a campaign issue as former Vice President Joe Biden, who released a campaign ad just 30 minutes after Trump landed back on American soil.
Trump biographer Michael D'Antoio explained that Trump is seen as a bully on the world stage.
"Look, he has stomped around the world insulting people and threatening them," D'Antonio said. "These are the two things that he does. He might bribe you as well, so there are three things that he does. This has made him, I think, not only a pariah in the civilized world, he's almost an outcast, especially among America's allies. So, the first thing he does when he gets into office is trash NATO. Then he goes around to every gathering of world leaders and favors the strongmen and the tyrants. So, I think people don't respect him. They respect the power he represents. but even that, I think, is less and less."
"Do you think they put up with him?" asked CNN host Don Lemon.
"Oh, of course, they put up with him," D'Antonio said.
"When you see them again, when they have to do the photo op, and they sit there, it just seems like they're just, like, 'okay,'" Lemon observed.
"He is the kid no one invites to their birthday party because he's a bully and he's a braggart," D'Antonio closed.
Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell explained that there are several major things that are very sensitive issues for Trump in his world: 1. His failing businesses, 2. His transparent "and inept corruption," and 3. That his underlings don't respect him. A close fourth, Rampell said, would be Trump's hand size. The world leaders hit three of the four things that get under the president's skin during the NATO summit.
Watch the full panel discussion below:
