When Donald Trump first appeared in the Republican primary many people, including myself, immediately wrote him off. After showing staying power, he stunned the establishment when won the nomination. He was egotistical and abrasive, but his supporters weren’t looking for a role model. His political rise has been explained by dumb luck, grand strategy, and religious prophesy, but cannot be attributed to any one factor. (All right, the last one is a joke, but I’ve seen him called Jesus, the Antichrist, and an internet frog) After his victory in the primary it became clear that there was at least some purpose behind his actions. With this in mind, let’s review his seemingly inexplicable tweets about the executive order on immigration, or as Trump calls it, the ‘Travel Ban.’

From an outside perspective, it’s always strange to see the opposition cheering the other side on. Without getting into the legal weeds, Trump’s tweets undercut the legal arguments his DOJ will use at the Supreme Court to defend the policy. Though not fatal to his case, his comments don’t make it any easier on his team. So did the President self-sabotage for no reason? It’s always a possibility, humans are fallible, but perhaps there is another explanation. The temporary pause imposed by the order only lasted a few months which have long passed in the interim. That his administration is still pursuing it shows there was no true national security justification for that timeline. Instead, it looks more like a political football used to rally the base. In that sense, the outcome at the Supreme Court is irrelevant as its value is geared towards politics, not policy. Further, losing the case would provide great cover for inaction while giving him a convenient enemy for him focus the base against, the liberal justices on the Supreme Court. I’d guess that Trump largely does not care about the legal result of this case. Instead, he sees political value in attempting to brand his immigration stance as anti-terror. The President tweeted out a range of statements in the wake of the London attack, some controversial, once again confirming that he will govern like he campaigned. He won the presidency with it, but only time will tell if it works in office.