MICHAEL WOLFF: I’ve been following Trump for a decade, and suddenly he’s more erratic than ever. But is he really having a breakdown?

This is the tenth year I have written about Donald Trump and his unorthodox, norm-challenging behavior.

And as we approach the peak of the 2024 election cycle, his actions, words, and attitudes have become even more extreme and strange, if not freakish.

Never before had a public figure displayed such a volatile, reckless, timid personality, except perhaps one in apparent collapse.

From dropping a recent incident in Pennsylvania mid-sentence to his own playlist – for forty minutes – to his daily, 90-minute and often incoherent speeches, or his unbridled and profanity-filled attacks on his various enemies, it’s impressive. a whole new style of WTF politics.

And it’s not just public opinion; There have also been reports of bad behavior by private individuals and anger towards those closest to him, even prominent Republican donors.

Never before had a public figure displayed such a volatile, reckless, timid personality, except perhaps one in apparent collapse.

Even those closest to him are now struggling to explain what appears to be a dogged determination in the face of restriction.

A Mar-a-Lago golf buddy who met frequently with the former president told me recently that this might be due to the stress of the difficult final weeks of the campaign.

Meanwhile, some Trump aides have speculated about the lasting impact of the two assassination attempts. And of course, there’s the age factor: Trump is 78 years old. But, on a bright note, some in his orbit note that his decline—if this is what we are witnessing—is at least colorful compared to Joe Biden’s sad demise.

Another explanation is that Trump understands that he might lose (which is at least a 50/50 chance in such a close race) and is aware of the dire consequences that could follow: disgrace, prison, bankruptcy.

Some insiders trace the increase in his out-of-control behavior to Biden’s departure from the race and Kamala Harris’ meteoric rise in July.

With Biden, Trump was confident of victory. But that was taken away from him. And his anger, his sense of being the victim of a vast Democratic conspiracy, perhaps pushed him over the edge. To him, this is just another stolen election.

Moreover, all this is compounded by the fact that he will lose to a woman; This is the biggest insult.

But there is also the possibility that what appears to be a self-destructive spiral is actually an indication of Trump’s own sense of indomitability, his complete confidence in victory. And if so, then this runaway behavior is all the more significant because it foreshadows the outrages and impunity that could characterize Trump’s second White House.

A White House where he would feel free enough and safe enough to be Trump however he wanted.

Some insiders trace the increase in his out-of-control behavior to Biden’s departure from the race and Kamala Harris’ meteoric rise in July.

Despite the universal outcry after January 6, the rallying of Republican donors and Party leaders behind Ron DeSantis in the primaries, and four indictments and criminal convictions, Trump persevered and prevailed. Now he’s on a victory lap.

Of course, he has repeatedly said that his unbridled sensitivity is the key to his success. The more unpredictable and unstable his style of foreign policy (really the Trump doctrine) appears, the more other nations fear him.

And the truth is that Trump being Trump without any restrictions works most of the time.

Just look at his historic victory over what may have been the most orchestrated legal attack ever leveled against an American politician. Any reasonable legal counsel would have encouraged him to seek compromise and compromise with his prosecutors. Instead, with Trump-style bluster and disdain, he launched a series of sham efforts to delay, distract, and confront the system that was trying so hard to derail him.

And because of that, he struggled to get a draw. If he is successful on November 5, this draw will turn into a complete victory over his critics.

Bizarre behavior is traditionally punished. Society and often the law oppose this. According to Trump, weirdness brings success. He’s a rebellious man-child who seems to have inverted the most basic rule of parenting: His bad behavior is often rewarded.

This begs the question: How will he survive this?

According to Trump, weirdness brings success. He’s a rebellious man-child who seems to have inverted the most basic rule of parenting: His bad behavior is often rewarded.

Part of the answer is that it contrasts so clearly with other politicians, including Kamala Harris, whose behavior is controlled, strategic, but unarticulated and perhaps boring. Nowadays, it is increasingly seen that correct behavior is more likely to be punished.

However, another factor is that Trump has created a bubble world for himself. He was a bankrupt businessman, a joke in his hometown of New York City, but on ‘The Apprentice,’ he framed himself as a peerless master.

Now he is disfiguring once again, hiding his abnormalities—his daily odd behavior, his criminal charges, the memory of January 6—with a consistent delusion that he is still president, that he is actually more presidential than the real president.

If he wins, the hero of his victory will be his top lieutenant, Justin Caporale; is one of Trump’s key architects, orchestrating every detail, look and feel of this campaign. Everything from the wood-paneled private jet to the podiums and faux presidential seals to the floodlights and grand sets at his rallies sends a message that there is a real president here. Here is the ruler of time and space, the one who conquered the world.

Since the beginning of the Trump era, the question has always been whether he is crazy as a fox, skillfully gaming the system, or whether he is crazy enough to reverse the game in another reality.

If he wins again, we’ll be even further away from knowing the truth.

If he loses, perhaps we’ll return to a more recognizable standard of normalcy – though it’s not so clear that’s actually what people want.