Donald Trump is somewhere between a butterfly and a dilettante, fluttering about and showing superficial interest in the fortunes of the Republican party and the conservative interests in particular. Frankly, he scares the hell out of casual observers, much like watching a bull in a china shop, but so long as he stays in the particular china shop, they can tolerate his existence.
If The Donald wants to build some sort of edifice or memorial to his association with the Republicans, he would do well to emulate Mark Hanna and support a personage such as William McKinley, rather than attempt to remodel himself into an actual candidate. It is difficult to sculpt upon oneself, no matter how the vision may take form inside one’s own head.