Respectfully, There Is Wisdom in Speaking Less

Dear Mr. Trump,

Let me begin by saying that I admire your leadership, work ethic, political instincts, and many of the results your administration has achieved. As a Jew, I am grateful for your support of Israel and for the strong relationship you have fostered between the two nations. I also believe that your victory in the last election was consequential not only for the United States, but for Israel, the Jewish people, and much of the world.

Today, you face three difficult challenges confronting any American president: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, preserving economic stability and market confidence, and maintaining the political support necessary to govern effectively, including through the upcoming midterm elections. Of course, reality is more complex than any three-point summary, but these objectives appear to be at the center of the current moment.

You understand better than anyone that words matter. Few individuals in modern history have possessed the ability to move markets, influence allies and adversaries, shape public opinion, and alter geopolitical calculations with a single statement. What you say, how you say it, and when you say it can affect millions of people around the world.

That is precisely why I write this article.

In recent months, there have said numerous public statements regarding the Iranian crisis, potential outcomes, timelines, red lines, negotiations, and possible actions. The challenge is that events are moving faster than predictions. When expectations are set publicly and repeatedly, but circumstances evolve differently, credibility can suffer. Allies begin to wonder whether declarations are policy or aspiration. Adversaries begin to test whether warnings will be enforced. Markets begin to react to words rather than facts.

The issue is not whether you are right or wrong. The issue is whether saying less might sometimes achieve more.

History shows that successful leaders often preserve their greatest leverage by maintaining strategic ambiguity. When opponents are uncertain about what you may do, they must prepare for every possibility. When every thought, intention, and timeline is announced in advance, some of that leverage is surrendered voluntarily.

Respectfully, I would offer four suggestions:

First, speak when the situation is sufficiently clear and when your words can advance a defined objective. Not every development requires an immediate public reaction.

Second, avoid threats that may not ultimately be carried out. A threat gains its power not from how often it is repeated, but from the certainty that it will be enforced.

Third, refrain from publicly announcing actions that may never occur. Strategic surprise has often been one of the greatest advantages available to statesmen and military leaders.

Fourth, allow your actions to speak more frequently than your predictions. Success is most persuasive when it is demonstrated rather than anticipated.

Your supporters do not admire you merely because of what you say. They admire you because of what you accomplish. The Abraham Accords, pressure on Iran, economic growth, border enforcement, and a host of other initiatives were not remembered because they were announced. They were remembered because they happened.

The world already knows you are willing to act. You no longer need to convince anyone that you can be bold. What may serve your objectives best now is not greater volume, but greater precision.

There are moments when speaking forcefully is necessary. There are also moments when silence itself becomes a strategic tool.

Respectfully, I do not mean to sound as though I am giving you advice, nor anything of the sort. I am simply sharing an opinion on a matter that I believe is important because the situation concerns me greatly. More importantly, I sincerely believe that you are in a unique position and possess the character and ability necessary to contribute significantly toward resolving it. 

Sometimes, saying less can achieve more. My best wishes.