Interesting take on it. I certainly agree with you that he is not in it for money, but objectively I cannot overlook that there is some degree of egocentrism that motivates him.
To get a feel for this, I try to look at his life before he came into politics. Or at least before 2015. He was always about his image, in business, entertainment, and on twitter. No matter what you think of the guy, you have to admit that before 2015, he did a really phenomenal job of garnering respect and fame from liberals and conservatives alike.
The Apprentice in itself was constructed to give him the appearance of a master facilitator, and the show in itself could be interpreted as a wildly successful advertisement for all things Trump.
For a while, he hosted the "Celebrity Apprentice", where celebs that mock him today were salivating and kissing the ground he walked on. The media these days will neglect to tell you this, but there were MANY LGBT and civil rights charities which he donated to, on the behalf of the winners of each challenge. Why? Because it was excellent PR and got him in the good graces of those who also stood in the limelight.
He promoted his own children to positions of authority in this show, showcasing their abilities and in a way passing on his success to them - all the while still remaining as the clear patriarchal figure within the family.
I think the biggest dig on him pre-politics was that he cut a few shifty deals, which absolved him of paying taxes for a period of many years after construction was completed.
But ultimately he was a star at PR. There was a long period of time that cmthe iconic Central Park ice skating rink was closed, with a constantly shifting date for completion. He stepped in, perhaps to make the politicians at the time look foolish, and facilitated the process so that it was expedited to completion within a year.
So what I am saying, is that I feel with Trump there is always the ego factor, and one would have to have blinders on to assume he does what he does, simply for the love of his country. I think the nepotism he has displayed in both the Apprentice and his presidency, to some degree, shows that among his highest values is his family.
I don't think he has that same passion for the rest of the American people, and I don't think that is abnormal. In fact, the past four years must have seemed sobering, to see that a grand chunk of this population is beyond fucking re.tarded.
However, that is not to say I am disagreeing with your statement completely. I think there is this unbridled need from Trump to want to be admired. Whether this does stir genuine feelings of love toward the populace is really unknown, but I think we can soundly say that he really seeks to please people. Or perhaps that is the wrong word for it. Maybe it is a need to cement his legacy as a good President. Maybe it is to acquire the adoration he had before ththe media completely villainized him.
I don't necessarily wish to go through his policies and decisions, because I think that a lot of them were made on the dime, in an effort to impress the last person who spoke to him.
I think a lot if his opinions are based on those around him, which could also explain his penchant for firing people on his staff. He will keep someone on if they guide him in the right direction. It comes down to if at least half of the population believes he is steering the country in the direct course, which coincidentally is the size of his base.
It is about whether his moves (built on the foundations of the conversations with advisors, of whom he aspires to please on a personal level) , make him receive praise or criticism from this base, and if it is not reflected upon him in a good light, he will be able to shift blame onto that person who led him wrong. It is a simple formula, but in these polarizing times, it is quite effective. Especially considering that with the two parties at each others throats, a lot more people are willing to take his words at face value, and shift the blame to the newly fired staff member.
I think this method runs people the wrong way. In a society and government that is overflowing with corruption, having to constantly shift who you bribe and scheme with to get leaks, is probably frustrating. Some people will be players in the game, and once they are found out, he really has no problem with moving onto the next person to fill that seat.
So, for those who want a TL;DR, I think that Trump is motivated by ego on three levels. To please those in his personal circle (friends, family), to be seen as an equal by those in politics (staff, fellow Republicans), and finally to secure the admiration from his base, which he had become accustomed to.
I think that if he genuinely does love America, then it is a product of his underlying goal, to be seen as a good president. He doesn't to go down as the "worst president ever", which is why the media so eagerly pushes this button. They know full well that this is something he is concerned with.
We can see his efforts on paper - with the economic dip only being temporary, with the effort he put into negotiating with North Korea, and even the launching of the "Space Force". He wants his name to be in the future textbooks that talk of the Space Force's accomplishments. He wants to not be forgotten. If he has to piss off half the population, he is fine with it so long as the other half is in awe.
After a certain point, you are so rich and famous that you want something that is genuinely immaterial. Something as simple, yet valuable, as adoration.
If you have stuck around until the end of this post, I want to add that I am not necessarily against Trump, as I feel there are some things he has handled quite well, and others he has neglected. I just try to see the situation objectively, without political prejudices, and take his actions pre-2015 (aka pre-media circus), and see what he did without being labelled as a supporter of one side or another
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