That humanitarian concern, however, placed him at odds with the MAGA movement. Tucker Carlson delivered nativist warnings about Afghan refugees (“First we invade, and then we are invaded”). Steve Cortes, a Newsmax host and Trump 2020 aide, tweeted a picture of Afghans on a transport plane with the caption, “Raise your hand if you want this plane landing in your town?”

Suddenly Trump changed his tune. He emailed supporters the same photo that Cortes tweeted, saying, “This plane should have been full of Americans. America First!”

The about-face is a reminder that although Trump holds a few core values (racism, anti-immigration, protectionism), he is otherwise ideologically flexible. His insight in 2016 was to endorse views widely held by Republican voters but rejected by other GOP politicians as deplorable, politically unwise, or both. But Trump sometimes misreads his supporters—and when he does, he often moves quickly to get back in line.