‘Madman Theory’ Confronts a Real Madman
Pretend irrationality has long been a part of U.S. foreign policy. Now we have the real thing.
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‘Madman Theory’ Confronts a Real MadmanPretend irrationality has long been a part of U.S. foreign policy. Now we have the real thing.Brian StewartMay 01, 2026SharePresident Donald Trump prepares to leave after speaking during an event at Verst Logistics on March 11, 2026 in Hebron, Kentucky. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)US Grand Strategy and the Madman TheoryFrom Nixon to Trumpby James D. BoysManchester, 288 pp., $21.95 (paperback)FEIGNED INSANITY IS NOT A NEW development in international politics. Niccolò Machiavelli observed in Discourses on Livy that “It is a very wise thing to simulate madness.”A certain appetite for risk and the use of deception is essential to effective diplomacy in a violent and anarchic world.
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