WASHINGTON — President Trump flew by helicopter Sunday afternoon to Jersey City to watch the Presidents Cup golf tournament, where he presented the trophy to the winner. In Mr. Trump’s mind, that is something he knows about: winning. In fact, he would argue, he was winning all weekend.

Never mind that opponents, independent analysts and even some of his own advisers winced at his latest outbursts. Whether it was blasting the mayor of San Juan, P.R., or excoriating kneeling football players or undercutting his own secretary of state, Mr. Trump was convinced that he was putting points on the board, according to those close to him.

His view of politics is unlike that of any president in modern times. Where other occupants of the Oval Office might go out of their way to avoid public fights with hurricane victims, popular athletes or members of their own team, Mr. Trump relishes them. He thinks they make him look strong. His base cheers him on. If the Twitter blasts leave collateral damage or inflame racial tensions or alienate his cabinet, those are trade-offs the president is willing to make in the quest to appear tough.

And he has an argument to make. While his campaign against National Football League players who kneel on the sidelines during the national anthem to protest racial injustice drew outraged protests from the sports world and Washington cognoscenti, Mr. Trump was lionized as a champion of patriotism in the conservative online world. Core supporters, who may have been upset at his bipartisan deal with “Chuck and Nancy” and his endorsement of Senator Mitch McConnell’s candidate in Alabama, rallied behind him by booing players, selling tickets or turning off their televisions.