Eagle, I don't want to form an alliance anymore.

Donald Trump has been sitting in his office for three hours.

He was forty-one years old this year, and he liked to wear that red tie, wider than most Washington politicians'. His hair was blond—he claimed it was his natural color, but he would get it styled every two weeks at a private salon in the suburbs.

He was overweight, and the flush on his face was the result of drinking alcohol, coffee, and eating too much steak, but he didn't care.

Seven newspapers were spread out on Donald's table: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Every newspaper's front page was talking about the same thing—bank holiday, unemployment figures, a march in Washington Square, and then Reagan's crackdown.

"Mr. Trump, your Coke." His secretary knocked on the door and brought him a glass of Coke.

His public relations consultant was a young man named Roger Stone. Stone was part of President Nixon's campaign team in his early twenties, and since then he has been navigating the undercurrents of the Republican Party.

He wasn't exactly successful, but he possessed a unique intuition. Three months prior, Trump hired him simply because he told Trump, "Donald, you're not a successful real estate developer; you're a politician who hasn't found his platform yet!"

Stone was sitting with Trump in his office this morning.

"Full page!" Trump said. "Look! Full page, full page, full page! I want all three newspapers!"

Stone said, "Sir, this could cost quite a bit of money."

"I know."

Stone knew what was going on with Trump's cash flow this month; his casino project in Atlantic City was stuck halfway through, and interest payments on loans to several New York banks had been delayed for two quarters.

Last month, a vice president at Citibank in New York called Trump and spoke very politely but with a very clear meaning—he was about to go bankrupt.

If Trump spends $100,000 on advertising in three of New York’s most important newspapers this week, he probably won’t last until December.

Just as Stone was about to offer another word of advice, the office phone suddenly rang. It was the direct line from his desk drawer, a line known only to a few people.

who can that be?

Trump raised his hand to signal Stone not to move, and answered the phone: "This is Donald J. Trump."

The person on the other end of the phone introduced himself as a representative of a Swiss investment group, without giving his name: "Mr. Trump, we have noticed that your project in Atlantic City seems to be encountering difficulties."

Trump is waiting for the other side to make an offer.

“Our clients are very interested in your project, and we believe it has great potential. Therefore, I am willing to provide an unsecured bridge loan of $20 million at a very favorable interest rate! The terms are very simple.”

Trump switched the phone to the other hand.

"What are the conditions?" he asked.

“We hope you continue doing what you are doing. We believe that America should not continue like this and should be managed by people who are truly capable, economically savvy, and business-savvy. That’s all.”

Trump did not speak.

"I don't know you."

“You don’t need to know us, Mr. Trump. You just need to get the money.”

"Why should I believe this isn't a scam?"

"Of course you can refuse, or you can check your account first. We will transfer one million US dollars to your account in Zurich before three o'clock this afternoon. This is—well, you can take it as a deposit."

If you received it, we'll discuss the rest next week. If you 'think you didn't receive it,' then pretend this call was never made. The call ended.

Trump sat in his chair for a long time, then suddenly said to Stone, “Roger, go contact The New York Times. I want the whole page. We can’t get the front page, but I need my picture to be on the page next to the front page on Sunday.”

"Donald, money—"

"The money problem has been solved."

That afternoon, Trump's secretary walked into his office with a fax. The fax was from his Zurich bank account, saying that one million dollars had been deposited into his account that day!

The remitter was a company he didn't recognize, registered in the Cayman Islands.

God did not abandon him! This is God's reward for his perseverance, hard work, sweat, and struggle!

He didn't care where the money came from; he would accept it even if it was given to him by the Communist Party. Whoever has money is God!

Soon after, an open letter from Donald appeared on page A5 next to the front page of The New York Times, titled:

Why shouldn't the US continue to foot the bill for the world?

The letter was signed Donald J. Trump.

"...For decades, the United States has paid a huge price for many countries that do nothing for us! We protect them! We make them sell us things! We let their economies prosper while ours dies!"

We are the most powerful country in the world; we should not be used by others!

The middle part of the letter specifically named West Germany, stating that West Germany directly caused the US stock market crash by manipulating its central bank to raise interest rates against the trend and violating the Louvre Agreement.

Trump believes West Germany should compensate the United States and has advised the US government to make a decision.

If West Germany does not pay reparations, the United States should withdraw its troops and military bases stationed in West Germany!

"We provided so much protection to West Germany not to raise a parasite that sucks our blood. If West Germany is not willing to be grateful for our efforts, we should let the West Germans deal with the Soviets themselves!"

Just kidding, if the United States really dared to withdraw all its troops from Europe, the Soviet Union really dared to unify Germany by force.

The letter concluded, "I believe America needs someone who understands money, business, and negotiation! That person is me!"

That afternoon, NBC reporters successfully caught up with Trump at the entrance of Trump Tower. Trump, wearing a blue suit and a red tie, stood in front of the cameras for about twenty minutes.

His words appeared on the front page of almost every newspaper the following day:

"Many people ask me, 'Mr. Donald, why did you write this letter?' I'll tell you why: because nobody dares to tell the truth! Everyone is afraid!"

Those people in Washington are afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japanese, afraid of the Soviets, afraid of everyone! I'm not afraid. I'm in business, I've dealt with these people, and I know what they're thinking.

They looked at us and thought, 'These stupid Americans are going to foot the bill again.' Enough, enough!

“Look at Moscow, do you know how old their new General Secretary is? In his forties! I don’t know exactly how old—maybe younger.”

Young, smart, capable—everyone says he's incredibly intelligent. Their economy is taking off; can't you see it?

They put a young person in charge; young people have energy, young people make decisions. Look at us, we put a bunch of eighty-year-old men in charge of our banks, we put old men in charge of our companies, we put old men in charge of our military.

No wonder America is losing! No, the American people need to wake up, wake up! America needs a president who can lead it to victory!

"I have built many buildings, a great many buildings, the most beautiful buildings in the world. I know how money works."

I've met the most cunning bankers in the world, and I know how they cheat you! That's why I say America needs someone who understands how money works.

"I'm not a politician. Politicians know nothing; they just talk and lie to you. I work for you."

That week, Trump appeared on six television shows. Mike Wallace, the host of the most popular show, 60 Minutes, originally intended to pin the real estate clown to the wall, but Trump turned the show into something else entirely.

Wallace asked, "Mr. Trump, you've encountered funding difficulties for three of your major projects over the past two years. You yourself are in trouble. What gives you the right to teach this country how to handle its fiscal problems?"

Trump laughed and said, "Mike, I really like your question. I'll tell you why, because I know what hardship is, I've been through hardship, I've come out of hardship! Those people in Washington have never experienced any hardship. They were born politicians, they died politicians, and their fathers, grandfathers, and sons will be politicians too. The American people should have known this during the Vietnam War. Some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths."

These politicians are completely oblivious to the predicament this country is in. This country needs someone who understands the predicament!

That Sunday night, more than 40 million Americans saw Donald Trump's face on television, and his name appeared on the front pages of major American newspapers dozens of times that week. During the Great Depression, people didn't care about any of that; they wanted change, not moderation!

Rationally, the United States should have brought in a moderate dove, learned to ease relations with the Soviet Union, and then rolled up its sleeves to have a serious economic showdown with the Soviet Union.

But expecting humanity to remain rational forever is wishful thinking.

The public's anger is rising, and if it cannot be released, the flames will burn the United States to ashes.

That week, White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker met with Reagan's political advisors in his office to find out how to deal with the New York real estate developer.

The next morning, Howard Baker made a call to the public relations department at Trump Tower.

"We invite Mr. Trump to the White House next week to have a cup of coffee with the president."

On the afternoon of November 17th, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.

Trump arrived at Washington National Airport from New York on his own private jet—his name, TRUMP, is painted on the fuselage in solid gold lettering, making it highly recognizable.

When he got off the plane, there were already TV reporters waiting for him at the airport. He waved to the cameras but didn't stop to speak.

Amidst the clamor of the crowd, he and his aides got into a stretched Cadillac with satisfaction, and the motorcade drove towards the White House.

In Cherryston, he told Donald what he was going to do that day: “Donald, you should have twenty minutes. Reagan is a very nice, very warm man. He will shake your hand and ask you to sit down, and then he will ask you a few open-ended questions.”

Don't start speaking right away. Let him speak first, and then you can speak!

Donald, when dealing with seasoned politicians, you need to project an image of maturity and authority. This isn't television or a pub; this is the Oval Office, the power center of this superpower!

Your goal isn't to conquer Reagan—you can't conquer Reagan, he's still the president. Your goal is to have a picture of you shaking hands with Reagan on the front page of the Washington Post tomorrow morning.

With this photo, you're no longer just a New York real estate developer, you're a potential candidate! You might even be able to run for president!

Trump listened, calmly looking out the window.

The Cadillac drove into the West Gate of the White House. A protocol officer led him through a corridor lined with portraits of past presidents.

He passed by Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and then walked past Reagan's portrait—there wasn't an official portrait of Reagan yet, just a photograph hanging in a temporary location.

"My profile picture should appear here too," he thought.

The concierge led him to the door of the Oval Office, and the door opened.

Besides Reagan, there were three other people in the Oval Office. One was Secretary of State George Shultz, standing to the right of Reagan's desk. Another was Treasury Secretary James Shell, standing to the left of Reagan's desk. The third was White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker, standing by the door.

Reagan stepped out from behind his desk and extended his hand to Trump: "Donald, welcome to the White House!"

The photographer came in and took a few pictures. Reagan and Trump were both smiling at the camera, Reagan's smile was very natural, after all, he had made tens of thousands of such smiles in his life.

Trump's smile looked unnatural; he felt his face was tense.

The photographer went out.

“Please have a seat,” Reagan said.

Trump sat down on the sofa opposite Reagan, the Secretary of State and the Treasury Secretary sat down on chairs on either side, and Howard Baker stood against a wall.

“Donald, I read your open letter in The New York Times, and I would like to hear your thoughts.”

Trump cleared his throat. He remembered Stone's words—let Reagan speak first—but it was too late.

"Mr. President, what I want to say is that the United States has a big problem right now, a very big problem!"

Our banks are failing, our workers are losing their jobs, and the root cause of all this is that we are letting other countries take advantage of us!

West Germany—damn it, West Germany was the worst! They manipulated their central bank! They raised interest rates against the trend, they broke the Louvre Accord, they crashed our stock market!

This is a fact, everyone knows it, but no one dares to say it. I dare to say it, I'm not afraid!

Reagan nodded to show that he was listening.

"Mr. President, you need someone who knows how to negotiate with these people. I understand, no one knows better than me how to deal with these people who manipulate the stock market and currency curves! I've dealt with these people my whole life, I know what they're thinking!"

They don't respect language, they only respect pressure. You have to put pressure on them, you have to let them know that America is no longer the America that can be used at will.

Apart from the Soviet Union, no country in the world should be considered an equal to the great United States.

Reagan nodded again: "Donald, these are...very interesting ideas."

Reagan paused for a moment: "I made a movie many years ago, a movie that probably no one remembers."

In the movie, I played a West Point football coach. In one scene, I had to teach a young player how to attack. I told him that when attacking, he shouldn't look at his opponent's hands, but rather at their eyes. Because their hands can deceive you—they can use feints.

But your opponent's eyes won't lie; they'll tell you where they truly want to go.

Trump smiled; he had no idea what Reagan was talking about.

"Donald, for all these years as president I've been looking people in the eye. West Germany's eyes, Japan's eyes, Moscow's eyes... You're right—many of them are trying to take advantage of the United States."

But you must understand that our relationship with them is far more complex than your relationship with your business rivals. They are both our competitors and our partners.

We need pressure, but we also need patience.

“Okay, you have a lot of good ideas. I think America needs more young people like you to contribute ideas for the future of the country.”

Trump opened his mouth to speak, but Reagan's comment about young people silenced him.

He was forty-one years old; he wasn't a young man at all, his son was already ten! Reagan called him a young man because Reagan wasn't on the same level as him; Reagan meant that he was a peripheral, lovable but unimportant figure who came to give advice to the Republican establishment.

At this point, Secretary of State Schultz spoke up: "Mr. Trump, I'd like to ask you a question. In your open letter, you mentioned that if West Germany does not pay reparations, we should consider withdrawing the U.S. troops stationed in West Germany. So, what are your views on Article 5 of NATO?"

Trump looked at Schultz.

What NATO Article 5? Isn't NATO an organization used by the US to manage its subordinates?

His mind was blank. Of course he knew that NATO was an organization, that the United States was its leader, and that NATO had many articles, but he didn't know what Article 5 specifically said.

He opened his mouth: "Article 5...I think it's a very important article, extremely important."

Schultz nodded; seasoned politicians generally don't wear their true thoughts on their sleeves.

"Yes, Article 5 is the clause on collective self-defense. It stipulates that an attack on one member state is equivalent to an attack on all member states. If the United States withdrew from West Germany, and West Germany was subsequently attacked by the Warsaw Pact, would the United States automatically enter the war under Article 5?"