Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025 redrafted the rules of international diplomacy. World capitals quickly realised that dealing with Trump’s second presidency required not just policy alignment but a carefully crafted psychological strategy — the use of flattery, personal validation, and dramatic public endorsement. Countries that understood this early gained an edge; those that resisted the new grammar of engagement found themselves side-lined.
No nation in South Asia exploited this shift more effectively than Pakistan, which turned personal praise, military symbolism, lobbying networks, and strategic bargaining into a diplomatic offensive that repositioned it favourably in Washington. At the same time, India — traditionally seen as America’s most reliable partner in the region — fumbled the expectations of a leader who values personal loyalty and grand gestures above technocratic caution.
Global competition to flatter Trump — and why Pakistan understood it best;
Across the world, a wide spectrum of nations moved rapidly to reinterpret diplomacy through the prism of Trump’s ego. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince , Mohammed bin Salman publicly hailed Trump as “the only leader capable of restoring global stability.” The UAE offered special investment windows linked to Trump’s economic agenda. Israel repeatedly framed him as the “most decisive American president for Israeli security.” Even countries such as South Korea, Japan, Hungary, and the Philippines sharpened their praise-heavy engagement style, concluding that personal warmth with Trump translated into policy concessions. In this competitive environment, Pakistan did not just participate — it outperformed. Islamabad recognised that Trump, more than any other recent American president, responds to leaders who project strength, exude admiration, and frame their cooperation as essential to his global legacy.
Why Pakistan’s flattery worked: the Munir–Trump chemistry;
Pakistan placed its bets on the one figure who could appeal directly to Trump’s admiration for “strongmen” — General Asim Munir, the country’s most powerful personality. While PM ,Shehbaz Sharif met Trump thrice in 2025 and showered him with praise, it was Munir who triggered the emotional chemistry that matters most in Trump’s political universe. Trump hosted Munir twice at the White House — in June and again in September — an extraordinary gesture for a non-NATO military leader. In Egypt in October, during the Gaza cease-fire summit, Trump publicly called him “my favourite field marshal,” signalling an unusual alignment with Pakistan’s military establishment. Munir’s appeal for Trump stemmed from several factors: he projected authority and command, he symbolised the power-centre of Pakistan, and he understood that Trump values personal loyalty far more than institutional processes. Sharif’s flattery was effusive — including repeated hints that Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize — but the prime minister did not represent the real centre of Pakistani power. Trump sensed that, and therefore gravitated to Munir, whose persona fit Trump’s political archetype of a decisive, uncompromising strongman.
The machinery behind Pakistan’s success: money, lobbying and tactical concessions;
Beyond psychological alignment, Pakistan invested heavily in the mechanics of influence. Islamabad hired multiple lobbying firms run by former Trump associates, spent millions on political consultants, and engaged PR agencies specialised in Trump-era communication. The strategy paid dividends when Pakistan facilitated the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah — the mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport suicide attack — in February 2025. Trump acknowledged this publicly during a joint session of Congress in March, saying, “I want to thank the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster.” This was a breakthrough moment. It allowed Pakistan to pivot from being labelled a “deceitful ally” during Trump’s first term to becoming a “strategic partner” in his second. Trump’s gratitude, amplified by Islamabad’s unrelenting public praise, strengthened a relationship that only months earlier seemed impossible.
Why India misread Trump — and failed to meet his expectations;
Unlike Pakistan, India entered Trump’s second term with a misplaced sense of comfort. The Modi–Trump rapport from 2019–20 — symbolised by the ‘Howdy Modi’ spectacle in Houston and the Ahmedabad roadshow — generated a belief in New Delhi that personal goodwill would automatically carry over. But Trump’s political memory is shallow and transactional. India failed to understand that Trump expected continuous affirmation, not nostalgic reminders of past warmth. Several mistakes widened the gap:
First, India refused to adopt the personality-driven diplomacy Trump thrives on. New Delhi stuck to its conventional, protocol-bound style, offering polite respect rather than dramatic praise. In contrast, Pakistan offered unfiltered adulation.
Second, India was rigid on trade issues — especially data localisation, tariff disagreements, and digital commerce rules. Trump interpreted this firmness as defiance rather than policy continuity.
Third, India’s steady partnership with Russia irritated Trump, who repeatedly accused New Delhi of being “too pro-Putin” and insufficiently aligned on Ukraine.
Fourth, New Delhi underestimated how aggressively Pakistan would court Trump. Indian diplomacy assumed that institutional relations — Quad partnerships, defence purchases and strategic convergence — would outweigh personal preferences. It was a historic miscalculation.
The damage to India’s strategic position;
The consequences of India’s misreading are visible across South Asia. Trump’s tilt towards Pakistan has weakened India’s diplomatic cushion in Washington. The U.S. is now more receptive to Pakistani views on Afghanistan, counterterrorism and even issues linked to Kashmir. Quad discussions have slowed, high-level visits reduced, and trade negotiations face new hurdles imposed by a White House that now sees India as “not cooperative enough.” Worse, Pakistan has exploited the shift to restore international legitimacy on security issues where it had become diplomatically isolated.
Advantages Pakistan gained by flattering Trump
Pakistan’s psychological diplomacy has yielded tangible outcomes:
• renewed strategic space in Washington after years of isolation
• leverage in IMF negotiations due to U.S. backing
• enhanced legitimacy of the Pakistani military as a stabilising regional actor
• favourable attention to Pakistan’s critical mineral reserves
• renewed defence talks aligned with Trump’s economic-military agenda
• tactical insulation from Chinese pressure since Trump views Pakistan as a counterweight to India.
Most significantly, Pakistan has positioned itself as a “preferred partner” in a South Asia recalibrated by Trump’s personal preferences. This is not due to structural reform or geopolitical merit — but the simple fact that Islamabad understood the psychological architecture of Trumpism far more intelligently than New Delhi.
Conclusion: In Trump’s world, ego is strategy
Donald Trump’s second presidency has reinforced a blunt truth: diplomacy is no longer defined by institutions or ideology but by the ability of leaders to appeal to the ego of the world’s most unpredictable president. Pakistan mastered this art with precision. India misread it as theatrics. The results are now shaping South Asia’s strategic landscape — and New Delhi must confront the cost of failing to adapt to a leader for whom flattery is not a gesture, but a governing principle.
(Writer is strategic affairs columnist and senior political analyst based in Shimla)
