India, July 30 -- Donald Trump has given the world a rather good sense of how he operates. Six features stand out. One, Trump is a strict bilateralist. That he didn't care much for multilateralism, except for the stage and attention it gave him, was well-known. But Trump weighs every country on its own merit, as he defines it, rather than as a part of a wider strategy or that particular country's role vis-a-vis another third country. The China relationship for him, therefore, is about what China brings to the table for him at this moment, not necessarily about what his own concessions would mean for the rest of the world - or even for America after five years. The India relationship is solely about what India brings to the table for him at this moment, not about what India can bring to the table vis-a-vis China now or in some distant future. The Pakistan relationship is similarly about what Pakistan can bring to the table for him at this moment, not about how it may or not complicate ties with India. The Ukraine relationship for him was about what Ukraine could give him (a minerals deal and concessions on territory), not about the fact that withdrawing US support would hand Russia a win; the Russia relationship right now for Trump is about what Russia can give him but is not giving him (peace in Ukraine for a pretty good deal); that's why the current anger with Moscow. Two, Trump is extractive, not transactional as the lazy cliche goes. When he enters a negotiation, it is not about a give and take; it is predominantly about take, with a little bit of give. The terms of trade deals that he is striking with allies, from Europe to Japan, offer a stark illustration of what Trump is seeking and getting - massive foreign investments in America, huge purchases of American arms and energy and agricultural products, unprecedented access to foreign markets, preferential treatment for American companies. In turn, Trump hands you a 15% tariff, and makes it sound like a favour. How is he getting away? Because the US is very powerful and the costs of a retributive Trump are very high. And no one believes in the only other option, which is collective resistance: Every State wants to cut its own sweet unilateral deal with Trump Three, Trump is ideological. Don't underestimate the Maga (Make America Great Again) in him, or him in Maga. No other contemporary figure can claim to have founded a modern political movement and driven it to power in a democracy as complex as America. The movement may admittedly have had historical roots, but it is Trump's creation. Its broad ideological pillars include restraint in international affairs and an end of American involvement in wars; fierce opposition to immigration and demographic changes underway in America; social conservatism on gender and sexuality; opposition to free trade, belief in tariffs and a commitment to regain American manufacturing strength; changing the pedagogy to wipe out American sins from history pages; suspicion of religious minorities; utter disdain for the climate crisis; a strong pro-rich bias in policy and opposition to the welfare State; and a view that defines the US as a Christian nation. Think of a range of Trumpian laws, statements and executive orders and they fit into this framework. Four, Trump is a pragmatist with clear priorities and won't let the base get in the way. And that is why he is often willing to go against his own ideological flank, while always coming back to it with another "win" on their agenda. Powerful figures in the base didn't want him to attack Iran; he went ahead for reasons of glory largely, but listened to that ideological voice with a calculated and limited operation. His base is highly suspicious of China; but Trump clearly feels the economic wins of a potential deal with Beijing - the only other country he truly seems to respect for its power - can offset that muted opposition. His base is against gay marriage; Trump diluted the opposition to same sex marriage in the Republican Party platform and has appointed America's first gay treasury secretary. His base wanted a national ban on abortion; he knew the rollback of Roe v Wade protections had cost the Republican Party women votes and didn't back the demand. His base wanted an even more radical weakening of social security and health legislations; he knew it would be electorally suicidal. And if Trump really does something that the largely White majoritarian base may not like, there is always more action against immigrants, legal or illegal, in some form, that he can unite them around. Five, Trump has a particular relationship with money that comes from his ambitious days as an entrepreneur where the deal size mattered the most. This may take the form of a massive manufacturing investment announcement that can be sold as a political win. It may take the form of a massive investment in data centres with foreign partners that can be sold as a win. Or it may take the form of a big investment in his family business firm run by his sons. It may take the form of a partnership with a crypto firm run by friends. It may take the form of real estate contracts in key cities in the world. It may take the form of his family members getting prime slots on television as anchors or running the conservative media ecosystem that swims in the same donor base. It may take personal or political form, and for him, it is the same. And the final Trumpian trait is that he is all-powerful. Not bound by the exigencies of seeking another term, granted complete immunity by the Supreme Court, legitimised by an electorate that overlooked January 6 (when Trump's supporters attacked the Capitol in Washington after his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election), in control of his party's legislative wing, with dominance over all forms of domestic and global political media, unconstrained by norms, at the top of what remains the most dominant power the world has ever seen. And in the last six months, every day, Donald Trump has reminded the world of precisely that power....