Core Brief: Threats Win Early—But Lose Big: Trump’s School Yard Bullying Will Fail

Short‑term concessions, long‑term retaliation.

Threats work until they don’t. Intimidation is effective only for a short time. Those doing the threatening and intimidating always lose, and their fate is far worse than the short-term gain they realized.

The Lunch Money Bully eventually has to pay back the money, is punished, and ostracized.