Donald Trump does not want to be President. After listening to his Alabama rally speech it is obvious that he has no political ideology. He spent more time promoting his book "The Art of the Deal" than talking policy. Trump is not into politics. He wants something much bigger.
Trump is not stupid. Far from it. He knows that it is impossible for him to win the presidency. He also knows that the republican establishment that runs the party will never let him be the nominee. Even if he goes to the convention with the most delegates, the party leaders will come up with some loophole or new rule to deny him the nomination. So why is he running?
After listening to Trump for the past few months it is obvious that he has no interest in occupying the White House. If he did, he would be taking this run a lot more seriously and issuing position papers on where he stands. His just released "immigration plan" is nothing more than a rehash of his stump speeches. His "military advisors" are talking heads on cable news networks. It's also obvious that he's not a religious man. He's barely playing the political game.
Trump knows that his years in the limelight and on television have made him a celebrity. He also knows that there is a lot of (to put it mildly) frustration on the part of most Americans toward the Washington establishment and the Beltway media. Trump is first and foremost a businessman and very proud of it. During the first debate, the only subject he showed any passion about was his net worth and the bankruptcies in his past. He lives for money, power and celebrity.
Trump has decided to cash in on his celebrity at the perfect time. A large group of Americans don't watch the news or care about issues. They're just "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore." Years of FOX News dogma and the Republican spin machine have taken their toll on lower-middle class Americans. The talk has produced a less intelligent, more strident group of citizens. FOX and the Republicans have done such a magnificent job in brainwashing their minions that those same people now see FOX and the republicans as part of the problem. Unfortunately for them, years of worshiping at the feet of Roger Ailes and Reince Priebus have produced much lower salaries, less jobs and a more violent America. They realize that the American Dream is dead. So naturally the people will turn to someone who thinks and speaks like one of them.
Trump is going to do very well in the coming months. A showdown is on the horizon for him and the party elites. Trump is going to enter the convention with a lot of power. If he doesn't get what he wants from the Republicans, he will walk away and start a third party, taking all his supporters with him.
Here's the beauty of the plan. Trump does not have to win the election to succeed. All he has to do is get more votes than the Republican nominee, whomever it is. If Donald Trump can get more votes than the Republicans (which is a definite possibility) he can rightfully claim that he, not the Republicans are working in the best interests of the people. The Republican Party is no longer a viable political entity and it will fall apart. (Already some Republicans like Jeff Sessions and Ted Cruz are ready to jump ship and join Trump.)
With Trump as the head of his own political party he achieves one of his major goals, power. With that power comes the ability to change the country. I don't believe Trump is an ideologue when it comes to social issues. He's about the money. Running his own party, he can recruit and dictate to his candidates how to reshape the financial system in this country to benefit... Donald Trump. Financial regulations, Real Estate laws, foreign trade pacts, eminent domain, whatever, Donald Trump will have the power to use the Government as his own private bank. Thus by running third party he becomes the real power behind the throne in America.
The election of 2016 is not going to be about candidates or policies but about who gets to own America. It's a clash of the billionaire egos. The Supreme Court has turned national elections into a game of "He who has the most toys, wins." The Kochs, Sheldon Adelson, Trump and others are vying for complete control of the country for their own personal means. And Donald Trump has the advantage in this game because he is a celebrity and knows how to use and play the media.
FOX and the Republican elites have been playing the long game in the shadows. They thought they had their men in Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. What they didn't foresee was a celebrity billionaire with nothing to lose. Trump was also playing the long-game except right out in the open for all to see. And he is the one who might very well succeed.