John Kerry, an artful though more traditional international negotiator, said that Trump’s famous style of coming on strong and sometimes threatening could initially be a winning tactic when facing down world bullies.

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“He makes unpredictability a virtue, and it actually can be helpful,” Kerry said to snickers at a Thursday night event at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.

“Don’t laugh,” he added, throwing his hands out to quiet the audience.

“It could be helpful in a negotiation for them to worry about you and not know where you’re coming from,” he said in answering a question about negotiating with Iran over its support for terrorism in the Middle East.

Kerry explained that unpredictability is especially helpful when just beginning talks because it would give Trump and his team a chance to get the lay of the land before offering anything concrete.

“When you’re just starting out and you’re trying to find your ground and you don’t know exactly where you’re going to be able to go, it’s not a bad thing for them to worry about you a little bit and what you might do. You can’t play that all the way through a negotiation, but it’s a good place to begin,” he added.

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The IOP was honored to host John F. Kerry, former Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; 68th U.S. Secretary of State; and United States Senator (D-MA), for a wide-ranging conversation with IOP Director Setti Warren in the JFK Jr. Forum.

Watch now: https://t.co/CU1xxaOmKf pic.twitter.com/s9gIVIz4ym

— Institute of Politics (@HarvardIOP) November 22, 2024

Kerry, who left his post earlier this year but who still acts as a shadow diplomat for President Joe Biden, said that he believes Trump wants to cut a deal with Iran and other U.S. foes, including China.

What’s more, he not only wished Trump well but said he hoped to turn out to be a better negotiator than Biden.

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For example, he pointed to Biden’s talks this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Said Kerry, “I think President Trump will want to try to prove that he’s a better negotiator. So more power to him. I hope he does.”

He also wished Trump well in dealing with Tehran. “I believe there are some opportunities available to President-elect Trump to be able to open up some really important negotiations. And I hope he will do that. I hope he will.”