Likewise, it is also clear to those around him—those concerned for him (and themselves)—that he faces serious legal issues. He might be indicted—for financial issues, for his call to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, in the ongoing investigations of January 6. People around him surely will. This is further proof of the collective campaign against him—just part of the larger “steal.” The witch hunt. And, not incidentally, the fundamental reason for his political strength. Indeed, it’s his central issue: Terrible and corrupt people are against him. The swamp. The deep state, the fake news media. That’s why his movement must continue. That’s why he might have to run again in 2024. To fight back against the people who would destroy him. To attack him is to attack his people. He fights for them. Not incidentally, the more he is pursued the stronger he remains.

Notably, he faces his legal challenges without any real lawyers in place, going so far as to ask random visitors if they know any good ones.

Rudy Giuliani has again been cast out, cut off by Trump family members. Trump is annoyed that he tried to get paid for his election challenge work—and for his girlfriend putting in a bill! Giuliani, now beset by crushing investigations and potentially millions of dollars in legal costs, has publicly implored the Trump family and aides (and with further pleas from his girlfriend, and not so subtle public threats) to have the Trump campaign, with its great wealth, indemnify him—and has gotten only the cold shoulder.

The former president is of course lionized by the Trump establishment—the conquering hero of CPAC (though on one of his first postpresidential trips, his plane, for the first time in four years, had to wait in line for take-off). He remains largely alienated from the political establishment—but he more and more successfully casts this as them being alienated from him, forcing them to crawl back.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy came down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring, and Trump seemed briefly to consider letting signs of something-less-than-absolute-loyalty slide, let bygones be bygones. But that is something that he really can’t do, and sourness about McCarthy continues to move through his body like an uncomfortable meal. McCarthy, in turn, has gone from trying to maintain a cooler deference to the former president to a full-out panic not to be on the wrong side of him.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell now occupies the highest-most place of contempt in the Trump universe. To the extent that Trump is motivated by revenge fantasies and score settling, as he overwhelmingly is, McConnell provides a constant target.