Donald Trump can be ‘manipulated’, his former national security adviser warns

McMaster suggested that this is partly because people around Trump know how to push his buttons, especially when it comes to maintaining support from his political base.

McMaster, a retired Army lieutenant general, served as Trump’s national security adviser from February 2017 to April 2018. He was on the show to promote his new book, which provides a detailed account of his time in the Trump administration.

One significant concern McMaster highlighted was how foreign leaders, particularly Russian President Vladimir Putin, were able to influence Trump. McMaster recounted how Putin, a former KGB officer, used flattery to manipulate Trump.

In an excerpt from his book, McMaster mentions that after reading a New York Post article titled “Putin heaps praise on Trump, pans US politics,” Trump asked him to send Putin an appreciative note, despite the Russian leader’s role in poisoning a former Russian intelligence officer and his daughter in the UK.

Despite these criticisms, McMaster acknowledged that Trump made some critical decisions during his presidency, such as withdrawing the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.

However, he warned that the current administration’s less confrontational approach to Iran could allow the country to become an even greater threat.

Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, dismissed McMaster’s claims as “fake news,” accusing him of fabricating stories to sell books.

(With inputs from Politico, and The Independent)