I submit that he's done little in and of himself to make you root for him - his first few weeks have been bungled and erratic in the extreme. But he instinctively understands the resentments running through American politics, and knows how to exploit these fault lines to gain new allies by railing against a common enemy.

It's the classic authoritarian playbook: you don't need everybody to particularly like you, if you can find an enemy they dislike even more they'll still rally to your side.

Provoke the left, and when they react vilify them to rally the right to your side. You never really need to accomplish anything if you can just sow enough division.