I just recall things Trump actually said and did, combined with the generally high levels of incoherence and lack of coordination among his top officials. I'm not accusing him of being a Manchurian Candidate, I'm observing that his own ego and whims override any thoughts of larger policy goals and was incoherent, combined with severe incompetence at high levels of cabinet. The fact that some people played up particular angles that may not have been true doesn't in any way imply that Trump cares about anything other than himself, or was capable of executing a coherent foreign policy in time of crisis.

Trump need not be a foreign plant to still be utterly incompetent, mercurial, and incapable of proving effective international leadership. His buddying up with and general reverence for 'manly' foreign authoritarian figures is also well known and documented as is his extremely strained relationship with much of our Euro allies. As opposed to what I posited might happen earlier, its also quite possible he would have committed or threatened to commit US forces to combat to look like the big tough guy, or even to try and show how he wasnt some patsy for Putin.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)