“I‘m the law and order candidate,” Donald Trump told us recently, and he may even believe it, but the truth is of course that he’s not. No one who believes in law and order would use a political rally to rail at the ‘Mexican judge’ (born in Indiana) who was presiding over his trial for fraud regarding Trump University, in the mistaken idea that the boos of a partisan audience would impel the said judge to back down. “We need a strong leader” ran one of his ads, which is certainly accurate, but the fact is that’s not what he is.

The one strong thing he has is the strength of his insults, as in all other ways he seems a small, shaky person shielded by luck from life’s major challenges, and undisposed to seek risk on his own. A millionaire’s son, who began his career in the family business, he needed no strength to succeed, just adaptability, and was guaranteed a good hand in all confrontations, as he faced few foes he couldn’t vanquish by saying “you’re fired,” or buying them out.