The Esper firing sums up well the extremely frustrating and toxic dynamic between Trump's political maneuvers and governing strategy and his fanbase.

Step 1: There is a decisive moment, crisis, or major opportunity

Step 2: Trump talks big, takes photo-ops, and generates extreme reactions from his opponents.

Step 3: Trum fails to take action, sends mixed signals, and generally bungles the opportunity.

Step 4: Trump lashes out at the people who gave him bad advice ... and then talks big again.

Step 5: Trump's fans announce that we're about to "see the real Trump," "the gloves are off," "he'll go full bore now," etc.

Rinse, repeat.

I can think of countless examples that fit this patter: John Bolton and Iran, Esper and the BLM riots, reforming legal immigration, building The Wall, removing troops from Afghanistan, Covid stimulus checks...

Seemingly, every consequential issue fits this pattern.

So we're left w/ this situation in which Trump, at least rhetorically, still stands as the candidate of immigration restriction, nationalism, ending wars, law and order, traditional values, etc. Yet he had clear opportunities to act decisively on all of these matters and didn't.