“He did always understand the Washington DC politician ‘Swamp’ environment of career politicians, PACs, and lobbyists.”
He always did ... on a basic level. But he has said that he had no idea how bad it really was until he became POTUS.
They’re trying to kill him (literally), and he’s still hanging tough. God is in control.
You're right. That's why I mentioned Trump's 2016 campaign pushed him right and his Presidency pushed him even further right.
I once saw an old Trump interview when he was in his early 30s. Interviewer asked: Why don't you run for President? Trump (paraphrase): Washington DC is a really nasty life and someone with very strong, unpopular views that may be right would stand no chance of getting elected running against some career Washington insider politician with little intelligence but a big toothy grin.
That's a paraphrase but I think I got it fairly close because his phrasing of it really stuck with me. And how prescient was Trump in his early 30's? Pretty amazing, actually.