Independent observers note that Trump has always sought to please his base first, rather than reaching out to the middle ground. There is no reason to suppose he will change course now.

“Certainly for his supporters, what he says is still correct,” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. “People who are strong supporters will see threads between issues like immigration and how the pandemic is being handled.”

At the same time, Zelizer added, there are dangers too — principally that less ideologically committed voters will see Trump’s desire to push ahead with other elements of his agenda as a sign of a lack of focus. 

“If you don’t like the president or are just a lukewarm supporter, having him talk about Open Skies or immigration is just evidence that he doesn’t know what people are actually going through,” he said.