Getting shat upon
I haven't been watching Real Time with Bill Maher for a long time so I started catching up this weekend. Everything since maybe January of this year.
One episode in particular, had the writer and creator of Dilbert on the panel. He explained that what Trump did in the primaries was a sort of subtle kind of mind control.
By associating people with attributes, negative ones in particular, he forces his audience to view them through that particular lense.
Little Marco
Lyin Ted
Low Energy Jeb
And thus people will always be looking for these attributes in said people even if it's of little to no importance.
Combine that with the fact that his idiot followers truly believes he identifies with them or is concerned with their plight...it's a genius tactic to be honest.