That's not how appears from the outside. Maybe he is playing 10 dimensional chess and I just don't get it but he has even mentioned stupid things like snl and Arnold which clearly have gotten under his skin.
Perhaps.... it's just that he can't get the show biz bug out of his blood. Lusting for ratings is what Celebrity Apprentice was all about. Maybe to Trump, even negative publicity is still good publicity. It isn't, in reality, but then.... New York Liberals never did deal in reality. Hell, liberals anywhere don't....so....