A televised test of power

Trump meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb 4, 2025. Like few presidents before him, Trump has showed a willingness to upend America’s stance on major conflicts, sometimes leaving friends and foes scrambling to try to figure out his next move. — Eric Lee/The New York Times

DURING the first year of his second term, US President Donald Trump has used the Oval Office in a way few – if any – of his predecessors dared: as a kind of geopolitical reality show, complete with cliffhangers, confrontations and a rotating cast of foreign leaders.

More than 40 international leaders have made the pilgrimage to Washington to see Trump since his return to office, many doing so under the glare of live television cameras.