DONALD TRUMP

“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.” - Former Vice President Dick Cheney

Via Ferrnando Oliver, Esq.

Axios AM -  Here are some of the reasons Trump is so willing to disregard guardrails in associates and nominees, based on our conversations with friends and aides:

1. Loyalty litmus test: Trump puts a high premium on intense loyalty under fire. He's willing to overlook a lot if you prove your subservience on TV and in tough moments. The most common strand of DNA in Trumpworld is intense loyalty. He doesn't always return it, in part because he "understands self-preservation. So he balances," a member of his inner circle told us.
2. The nature of man: Trump has a very 1950s view of powerful men. In this view, the successful ones are rugged, often handsome, tough and flawed. Polite men, who often dominate politics, are too soft and fake to confront the harsh realities of real life. It takes daring men to do the hard things in fighting crime or illegal immigration, or confronting China, or negotiating with stone-cold killers like Putin.
3. Rationalization: Trump's own criminal and civil legal fights have made him more tolerant of others who are accused. In this view, it can be a price of fame. It's easy for a guy like Gaetz to convince Trump allegations are B.S., longtime advisers say. "He is ultra-sensitive to the cultural notion that accusation equals guilt," a Trump insider told us.
4. Message to males: We're told Trump's gains in the election fueled his bad-boy instincts. "He knows and intuitively understands that men voted for him in huge numbers in part because they reject the notion that all male behavior is toxic," the insider said. "He wants to drive home the message that he is discarding the old norms and he is setting the new ones."
5. Whatever it takes: The end justifies the meanness, in Trump's eyes. He wants to win — whether it's business deals, or TV ratings, or elections, or governance fights. He wants people willing to do the dirty work of gutting parts of government he loathes. Overlooking warts is easy if they pass this test.
6. Numb to controversy: After constant scandals, Trump is desensitized to infernos that would petrify anyone else in business or politics. "That's been an adjustment for all of us — what's actually possible by pushing the envelope," a Trump adviser told us.