Secret Weapon. Self-deprecating sense of humor.

Yes, he’ll get a bump in the polls. He’s funny. He knows how to do this. Some of the best comedy writing to come out of SNL in years. Can’t imagine the production meetings. “This is going to help him.” Egad. “Yes, but we can’t resist. It’s too sweet to pass up.”

And so it was. He allowed himself to be mocked and impersonated. He got to take credit for an impossible series of positive events in his first year of presidency, while acknowledging that those outcomes were unlikely. He made SNL The Trump Show, against all odds, and he probably showed exactly how and why he can become president. He takes his quest seriously but not himself. An unusual combination.