first term. Shoot, he is hoo he was in the 80's. His base knows that's part of the package. And they see these trials for what they mostly are, politically motivated hit jobs to stop him from running by any means necessary. And they have plenty of Dem track record to look towards to feel that way from calls for impeachment before he even took office, to the Russian Collusion Hoax, to the Kavanaugh hearings, and on to the two impeachments. And while I don't consider myself part of that base, nor do I think he should be back in the White House, I can't really disagree with them, and can understand why they feel that way. When you're Chicken Little and have screamed the sky is falling, or Hyperbolic Drama Tweened if you prefer, so many times, after a while, folks stop listening to you.

Your use of "deplorables" here is an excellent reminder of why that is doomed to fail. That colossal political blunder, and the continued attempts to shame his supporters as racists, anti-immigrant, misogynists, etc. hasn't worked, and will never work. It only makes those being attacked, that know they aren't those things, or at least nowhere near the degree they're painted as, dig in their heels and say "F Off". That's not how you "win friends and influence people".

Your correct approach is what you said above. Just keep letting "Trump be Trump", and keep showing it. Just keep sharing his delusional raging Truth Social posts. For every time he calls Nikki a "birdbrain", or says his "enemies" won't be allowed in the MAGA camp, that's just more voters that decide, that's just not what this country needs going forward. You see the answer in the interviews in these primary states, Trump supporters always qualify their support with "I don't always like what he says, I wish he didn't come with all the baggage, etc.", and those voting against him say the same "I voted for Nikki because she doesn't come with all that baggage, bring all the fighting we saw in Trump's first term, because she doesn't want to divide us, etc."

JMHO of course. And the only approach Nikki should take, if she wants to have any hope of pulling this off. (which admittedly has gotten much slimmer, but her going Adam Kinzinger won't do it either)