The meteoric rise to fame of one Donald Trump has been the talk of the press since his prodigious success in polls nationwide. Critics are routinely stumped by Trump’s ability to dominate a crowded field, consolidating massive amounts of support, all while attracting controversy that would be tantamount for political suicide for any other candidate. Analysts, experts, pundits and critics, to this day, are unable to pinpoint exactly why Trump is able to succeed and rise to unheard-of highs despite inflammatory rhetoric.

So how did he do it? How has a billionaire, from the coveted and demonized 1%, pulled off what amounts to the greatest political heist in the history of this country?

Trump is no stranger to media attention. As it stands, Trump’s #1 tool is his ability to manipulate the press and generate controversy. By making claims that are as outrageous as they are incorrect, the press is forced to cover these claims and viciously dismantle them. Unfortunately, in criticizing Trump, they only bolster him. By forcing the media to cover Trump, he bolsters his name recognition, while being eternally broiled in controversy only serves to paint him not as a lunatic, but as a controversial anti-establishment candidate.

Donald Trump is also manipulating his constituency. The intentions of his tendency to pursue controversy are manifold and complex. In drawing attention to his vulgar, insensitive, and occasionally racist remarks, he draws attention away from a critical facet of any candidate: his policy. Trump is the least complete out of all the GOP hopefuls when it comes to policy, boasting only 5 policies on his site. He prefers to talk about his career, his candidates, their characters, their policies, or the Democrats. 

Trump entered the Presidential election not to be the second coming of Republican Christ, but to win, and that means he has to win two separate elections: the primaries and the general election. His campaign is currently geared towards the primaries, where 92% of voters are white, meaning he can be as inflammatory towards other demographics as he wants.

He knows that when the general election begins, in order to have a chance against the Democrat nominee, likely Clinton, he must capture Democrat voters, which means he must be a centrist. His aversion to policy issues—and other small blunders—have betrayed the coming metamorphosis of Trump.

Consider: Trump shied away from affirming or denying Jerusalem as the unquestionable capital of Israel during a conference with the Republican Jewish coalition. He evaded a question on whether or not he would seek to repeal the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Trump’s history of flirting with the Democratic party is indicative of a coming shift center once he ties up the nomination. His manipulation of the press, also draws attention away from his policy, which he seeks to evade until he can shift center in the general election.

“It’s an unorthodox tactic, but it is certainly successful. The guy is deceptively clever, I’ll admit. He’ll definitely push through the primaries, as crazy as it sounds,” said senior political correspondent Luca Guerini.