Opinion | What Trump Actually Wants From the G.O.P.

The big question I am struggling with Donald Trump, as I struggle with many questions about him. What does this guy want? What is his actual play here? And maybe it’s not that strategic, but to me, I think there is a strategy here, which is I think he wants control of the Republican Party. I think he cares about that more than he cares about control of Congress. I think that he is less worried about a world where Democrats have power than he is about a world where Republicans feel empowered to oppose him, to join in investigations of him, and the danger is Republicans ever feel empowered to abandon him. And that’s also how Donald Trump maybe controls Republican Party into the future. I’m not a person who believes he’s going to run for a third term, but could he continue to exert enormous power over the Republican Party by continuing to intervene in primaries all over the country? I think he absolutely could. And you can be the kingmaker even when you’re not the king. I think he certainly cares about the fealty to him. I think he cares about respect generally and his sense of power. Is he thinking specifically about the contingencies of what happens when Democrats have control? I mean, at some level. But I think just his impulses are to flex his muscles and have Republicans do what he wants. And as it looks less likely that the House stays or whatever, then, yes, you begin to start thinking about, OK, well, if I can’t have that, what can I have? And I think there’s a decision tree there. But I just think once we establish, does he care about doing the sorts of things that make it easier for people to win elections when he’s not on the ballot? He cares a little bit. But when that’s in tension with his control over the party, I certainly think that that shapes his decision-making.