For a long time there was an awful logic to Donald Trump’s breaking of norms. When he made up untruths about where Barack Obama was born, or led chants of “lock her up” about Hillary Clinton, the outrage of decent Americans only amplified his messages to his own supporters.
Even the dreadful events of 6 January 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol, served only to energise his base and to give him a platform from which to regain power four years later.
