It has been truly mystifying why Trump keeps on doing things that are so out of step with America and its everyday values.

For instance, he goes to NY, meets with law enforcement people, and goes on TV to make a statement that appears to condone police brutality. On another day he—without consulting anyone in the military—tweets that no transgender people will be allowed in the military. Why would he do things that serve no purpose (the military has not changed its stance on transgender soldiers and his remarks about the police have been denounced by police chiefs across the country) but to alienate most Americans?

As a candidate, Trump succeeded by mobilizing his base, and as President he seems to have doubled down on the strategy. If his base pushed him into power because of his outrageous behavior, he seems to think that such behavior will keep him in power. He now clearly is feeling the heat of the Russia investigation and might sense real danger coming down the pipe.

But he apparently has overlooked that Nixon still had about 30% public support when he resigned! So preserving anything anywhere near that level of public support will probably not prop up his presidency.

His strategy appears to be fight back against his attackers and go after easy targets in hopes of frightening and/or distracting the opposition.

Meanwhile, he hopes to shore up his shrinking base of die-hard “deplorables” with his “law and order” rhetoric and culture war policy.

He could care less about how the rest of the country thinks about those issues as long as HIS base remains firm.

That can be the only reason that can explain what otherwise seems outright crazy!