You may view the timing of his evolution as suspicious, but it actually makes total sense. He was finally throwing his hat into the political arena, so it was time to state what he stood for as a politician, not as an amateur commentator, which is what he had been up till then.
Look, you either believe Trump is misleading people or not. The problem is, people who believe he’s misleading people have a hard time giving a reasonable explanation of his motive.
People also have a hard time wrapping their brains around how a guy like Trump could be right on the issues now, and have been spouting something different a few years ago. I get it, but what they’re missing imo, is that Trump’s approach to politics is so radically different from your traditioinal politician’s approach that people don’t understand it.
Trump approaches political problems the way he approaches the hundreds of problems he has to solve as an Executive. He doesn’t spend months studying a single issue. He relies on good advisors and common sense. It makes total sense, that once he focused his executive skills on the Presidency, his policy positions would emerge.
I believe he loves getting his ego stroked like no other. And, TBH, I think he’s a power hungry elitist.