Trump: *Says something racist*.
Everyone: That's racist.
Right-wingers, Trump base: Identitarian politics! Far-left extremists! Playing the race card! America-hating Socialists!
Trump: *clap, clap, clap*

Trump knows what he's doing. Trump base are doing their thing, and gullible bystanders are eating it all up.

This is all just a distraction for the 2020 election, because Trump doesn't any have results or good policies.