There is a method to Trump's madness. His tactics are to be deliverately unpredictable and to make demands that are much more than what he really wants to extract from his targets.  He does not care about public opinion, so long as he can demonstrate in the end that he has won.  The truth is often the victim of his ways.

His base is still quite strong and they do not care about his means so long as it justifies the end result.  He knows this very well.