It is actually easier to manipulate people if you're ignorant and over-confident. It is much easier because you don't have to lie and adapt your speech, you just do you.

He can only manipulate people who want to be manipulated.

Eh, he's not exactly hiring the best lawyers. In any other situation the best law firms would be jumping at the chance to defend a former president, but due to past behaviour (not paying, not following advice, committing additional crimes, asking lawyers to commit crimes for him), he's only hiring rubes and crazies.

There's one thing he's good at: making assholes feel good about being assholes. That's the one thing he's built his entire political career on.

That closing phrase, though... 🤢😅

Even then, he was surrounded by highly competent entertainment types who knew what they were doing. All Drump had to do was turn up and say his lines.