He has also embraced a contradiction-ridden approach to foreign policy exhibiting tendencies of both isolationism as well as interventionism.The nationalistic “America first” theme of Trump's campaigning that calls for an end of meddling in the affairs of far-flung places and his open rejection of America's role as the world's policeman violently clash with his promise to single-handedly bomb Isil into oblivion.

In international relations, a certain degree of unpredictability can indeed provide a competitive edge over your rivals, particularly when dealing with hostile countries. During talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, it was the Islamic Republic that eventually walked away with a favourable agreement after it played to its advantage the predictability of its negotiating partners. The amount of political capital invested by the Obama administration made failure no longer a feasible option even if it meant caving in to Iran’s erratic behaviour.

In 1517, Niccolò Machiavelli argued that sometimes it is "a very wise thing to simulate madness" – the emphasis being on the simulation of the act. And it is exactly what sets Trump apart from Nixon. For his predecessor, the “Madman Theory” was a calculated and strategic tool to maximise America’s interests in the international arena. In Trump’s case, however, it is less an act of carefully crafted deception than a genuine demonstration of his irrational and explosive temper. Trump is the madman not in theory but in practice.