“What Would Putin Do?”

CNN as data mule:

"Donald Trump's fixation this week over wanting to take control over the Panama Canal, as well as the revival of his desire to purchase Greenland, a Danish territory, is really part of a larger negotiating tactic, I'm told," Treene said. "One Trump adviser told me his interpretation of what Donald Trump has been saying this week is really that he wants to force foreign leaders to the negotiating table to bolster United States trade, but also to try and curb both Russia and China's larger influence over the global region."

Yeah; that interpretation is doing a lot of heavy lifting, as the kids say.

Trump is not playing 4-dimensional chess. He’s eating the pieces and shitting on the chessboard. As usual. Next, he’ll declare himself the winner and stalk out of the room. And yes, that’s my interpretation of what he’s doing.

We’ll see which interpretation hews closer to reality.