Everything is about holding the base. Every lie is about rationalizing loyalty from people who already agree with the propaganda.

You'll better understand the decision making of the Trump administration by recognizing that any time you hear something and say "that's nonsesnse!" they aren't talking to you. Hear everything with their base in mind. He's only thinking about election Primaries. It's not about winning a general election, it's about applying maximum political pressure on the GOP incumbents so they don't vote him out of office through impeachment.