Why Trump does what he does

Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Axios:

....Why go to the mat to pick and defend people Trump knows will raise questions about his judgment, heart or morality? In almost every case, there are similarly loyal and tested alternatives. Yet he often goes with the bad boys.

Why it matters: People who know Trump best tell us the answer lies in his view of humanity and power. Trump, they say, values loyalty, toughness, street smarts and self-protection foremost — and believes most people do bad things to get, hold and use power. Business and sexual transgressions don't trouble him like they do other presidents. Trump, more often than not, likes people who are like Trump....

Rob's comment:

The short answer, better than a long, pseudo-intellectual explanation of his character: he's just an asshole, a bully, a cheat, a creep, a know-it-all.

Like a lot of macho conservatives, he neurotically confuses cruelty with toughness.

See also Trump's behavior not inexplicable, Trump hates animals, which is why in his first term he tried to dismantle the Endangered Species Act.

And he's a crybaby. In spite of all the money and power, he still thinks he's a victim!