On his part, it was stupid. But, the way I see it, making the internal GOP rift more transparent is a good thing. We're at the leading edge of a significant political realignment, with the DEM party being the party of the globalists and "plantation USA," and the GOP being the party of nationalism and America first. Many GOP members will move to the DEM party, or start a third party with the combination of globalist/centrally managed economics and social conservatism.
-- What purpose did it serve except to delay any kind of healing in the GOP? --
The GOP shouldn't "heal" just yet. It needs to split first.
What I love about Trump is that he is a mechanism by which all of the masks in DC, the masks of all the political pundits and radio talkers, and all the so-called conservative leaders are finally being made to drop, so we can see where they really stand.
A third party may be forged from the GOP, but it won’t be on so-called “conservative” principles.
Trump was actually more conservative in his positions than any of the other 16 candidates that ran against him, and the people saw that and responded with their votes.
Trump is like an anvil, and the others are tools being forced to take a shape they don’t like and don’t really believe in.
In that vein, you are absolutely correct, the GOP has to split—it always was split since GHW Bush, and now the split has been exposed.
And the split was not between factions—it was between the GOP establishment and power brokers and the people they purported to serve.
That was the toughest mask to rip off, but Trump has done that.