In reality, though, Trump is his own campaign strategist. Channeling Frank Sinatra, Trump does things “my way.” Trump is conducting this campaign his way. As he likes to say, “I’ve gotta be me.”

And although Trump isn’t running a great campaign, he’s smart not to appease his most extreme backers. It’s true (but sad) that to win this election, Trump needs their votes. But there’s little reason to fear that he won’t get them. Indeed, the Post notes that “many of the campaign’s hard-right critics [have] said they still stand strongly behind Trump himself.” Who among these critics and their followers will abstain from voting for Trump because they don’t like his campaign team?

What Trump needs most to win this election is what presidential candidates always need most — the votes of those in the middle. In this case, that means voters who are neither MAGA nor liberal. These are the votes that are up for grabs. To the extent Trump has softened his message, he’s done so to win them.