I think it was the attention, not the stance that mattered to him. I think he enjoyed being outlandish and making hyperbolic statements just to watch liberals' heads explode as they tried to figure out how in the heck to respond to it. Of course the novelty eventually wore off but it was entertaining for a while.I do find it interesting that there is this perception that Trump isn't a politician. He might not have been one when he was elected but he sure as hell was one when he left. His stance on issues is 100% based on what garners him the most attention. If that isn't politics as usual, I'm not sure what is.