Excellent analysis. I quibble only with the idea that Trump believes anything other than that his pockets should be lined. Nothing else is of any importance to him. So he gives the GOP judges in exchange for their pretending he has a conservative agenda, when in fact, he is too egocentric, stupid, and ignorant to have anything approaching an agenda. Meanwhile, he gives the rabble jingoism. He is, after all, just a huckster, the PT Barnum of politics, aware that no one ever lost an election by underestimating the intelligence of the American voter.

So let’s not say that the Republicans “agree” with Trump on some things and disagree on others. The Republicans support him because he will rubber-stamp their agenda, not vice versa.

Hopefully, the GOP is overplaying its hand by revealing its lack of commitment to such American ideals as democracy, the rule of law and the separation of powers. The current crop of GOP aholes never cared about such niceties. The party has become a coalition of tax cutters, religious wackos, and racists. If they can get a president who is ok with those “values,” they can forgive the fact that he is otherwise the worst human being and least qualified person ever to hold the office.

Somewhere, James Buchanan is smiling.