This is not a novel observation, of course. The President’s conduct is on constant display for everyone to see. Just this past Mother’s Day, Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post thoroughly catalogued Trump’s MO in an article entitled, “As coronavirus roils the nation, Trump reverts to tactic of accusing foes of felonies.”

The author reminds us that Trump began his campaign with chants of “lock her up!” And since then, the individual targets he’s accused of criminality have multiplied in number. As Olorunnipa recounts, “The list of purported culprits Trump has charged include two television news hosts, a comedian, at least five former officials from the FBI and Justice Department, the state of California, a broadcast television station and at least five top national security officials from President Barack Obama’s administration.” In particular, he has suggested TV host Joe Scarborough murdered an intern and that Obama is guilty of a hazy crime that Trump can identify only as “Obamagate.” And of course, Trump’s bogus focus on Joe and Hunter Biden’s supposed criminality caused him to be “impeached forever.”

Trump’s penchant for accusation maybe helped get him elected, definitely got him impeached, and he clearly hopes the approach will help get him reelected.

But he’s doing more than that, as evidenced by new accusations made this week. He is not only reverting to his old tactic to win reelection, but also it seems, laying a foundation to attack the 2020 election itself if he happens to lose.