Largely based on an accumulation of data

Pretty Boy Floyd and friends

But to live outside the law, you must be honest - Bob Dylan

Trump won the nomination of his party without the party. Then he held it hostage in the person of Pence. His election included this tension between the Republican Party in Congress, in Pence, in general and Trump's own political brand. His brand is distinguished from the GOP domestically by its protectionist full-employment strategy and, as concerns the empire, detente with Russia.

The structure to sustain this detente is not politically very deep. A little unexpectedly, certainly to the Clinton campaign, the Republican electorate was shown to respond to the feelers toward Putin. Perhaps, having canonized Reagan as he who destroyed the USSR, they are immune to the re-demonization of Russia so soon afterwards. There is also the western fascist infatuation with Russia. For whatever reason this has taken hold in Trump's worldview its representation on his staff is few in numbers but very central. And now the attack on this policy has drawn first blood.

Trump began his campaign with few political friends. His focus was on building an audience more than a movement. He has entered the White House with, still, few political friends. This explains the motley makeup of his cabinet. It also explains the slow pace of political appointments below the cabinet. The further down they go the less they will reflect Trump and the more they will consist of generic Republicans. The firing of Flynn for lying to Pence is the beginning of the rollback of the Trump brand of empire.

I love a good man outside the law, just as much as I hate a bad man inside the law. - Woody Guthrie