Beau

Was it madman theory when he claimed to stop a war between two countries that haven't been at war?

Or when he claimed to stop a war that ended before he took office?

Was it madman theory when he demanded unconditional surrender?

thus creating a situation where if Iran survives the war, it wins and he loses.

Was it madman theory to threaten our allies so much they cut off assistance and got ready to fight the U.S.?

No, this is just incompetence.

So madman theory is a ready mask for a leader who's actually inept, emotional, or simply ignorant.

And there's no real evidence of coordinated strategy here.

I don't actually believe madman theory is being applied.

Or if he's trying.

He's so bad at it that it's failing.

There's a historical piece of information, too, that's pretty important.

Nixon was actually a believer in madman theory.

Nixon's chief of staff wrote that he had said it bluntly.

He once wrote that Nixon told him, quote,

I call it the madman theory, Bob.

I want the North Vietnamese to believe I've reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war.

We'll just slip the word to them that, for God's sake, you know Nixon is obsessed about communism.

We can't restrain him when he's angry.

And he has his hand on the nuclear button.