The Donald Trump martyrdom conspiracy theory

[PeteB]

I have said all along that Trump is an entertainer and was in this race to get attention for himself and his brand, not to get elected. Obviously now that he has an actual chance, he is tempted to take it.

However, with the increased stakes, Trump's potential liabilities have grown. In the past, he could always exit stage left, with a hefty increase in his brand recognition and a rolodex of political IOUs. Now, if he decides to push till the end (and fail), he could easily p.ss off enough people to do damage to his brand and the Trump Corp. He will have to weigh that carefully, and his decisions will (as always) reflect his own interests!