(CNN) Nine days ago, Donald Trump got the best news of his presidency: Special counsel Robert Mueller ended his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and, according to Attorney General William Barr, concluded that there had been no conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. Less than 48 hours after that news broke came word that Michael Avenatti, one of Trump's main antagonists over the first two years of his presidency, had been arrested on charges of attempted extortion and bank and wire fraud.

Put those two developments together and Trump should be enjoying one of the most positive periods of his presidency. Except that he's not. Because of, well, him.

This past 10 days should serve as conclusive evidence of one thing: Donald Trump isn't playing three-dimensional chess with his presidency. He doesn't have some sort of grand blueprint against which he has been and continues to execute. There is no method to this madness, he is making it up as he goes along.

Every day is a blank slate to Trump. What he said yesterday doesn't matter to him -- nor is it indicative of what he will say and do today or tomorrow. He takes in events and reacts to them in real time. Then he reacts to the reaction his actions create. That's it. Any attempt to ascribe his actions to a deeper, more textured strategic gambit is looking for something that just isn't there. And never has been.

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