Within days of Donald Trump winning the White House in 2016, Shinzo Abe, then prime minister of Japan, visited Trump Tower to meet the president-elect.

Like one of the Three Wise Men, he came bearing the gift of gold. In this case, gold golf clubs.

Thus began a relationship that became the envy of many world leaders, who would seek Abe’s counsel on how to work with Trump. Why was Abe so successful?

First, he used flattery. Before their first official meeting, after Trump’s inauguration, Abe sought the advice of several psychological experts on how to talk to Trump. Their instructions? Don’t disagree with him.

Praising Trump in their many meetings thus became a key theme. And Abe apparently took other steps to puff up Trump. For instance, Trump said that Abe nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, although Abe was coy about it.

He used their mutual love of golf to bond. Many guessed that Abe was fine with routinely losing to Trump on the links. There is even an amusing video of Abe falling into a bunker as Trump walks away, unaware of Abe’s........

© The Hill