No, I think his appeal is that he is making non-PC statements and then not backing down when the left whines and complains. That is what conservatives are hungry for. It’s what made Newt Gingrich attractive to many.
Is he presidential material? Heck, no! He’s a showman and an attention addict. But he makes people feel better when he’s saying some of the things they would like to say to the left.
Rudy Giuliani did the same snarling at the press, speaking tough against crime and making the occasional un-pc comment about muslims and a certain segment of the right loved it. But Rudy was a gun grabber pro-abort liberal in every other area just like Trump isn’t a true conservative. Just hope the base wakes up to this fact before they waste their vote on this guy and allowing Jeb to squeak though the primaries with a victory.