The question then becomes, what follows once his donors realize they were taken for ride ?
My guess is that there will be more fallout and he's already begun to lose support, but it's hard to quantify exactly how much.
I'm not sure many of his donors will feel they were taken for a ride. They gave money to Trump when they wanted him to have it. They are not likely to follow the money to see what actually happened to it. It will be interesting to see how easy or hard it becomes for Trump to raise money in the future.
I think many MAGA people do not yet appreciate how much Trump's influence and importance will diminish once he is out of office.
For many, part of the draw was strongman Trump. He was the president, the big boss, the winner, the highly successful businessman, the stable genius, the one who was several steps ahead of everyone else in the masterful chess game he plays, the political leader who did not talk like a politician, the man who could get things done. For many, that will always remain true. They will always see Trump is their brilliant hero. But for many others, the bloom is coming off the rose.
A good number of people who maintained close ties to Trump did so not because he was Trump, but because he was president. When Trump is no longer president, those "supporters" will fade away. They opposed him early in the 2016 campaign. They aligned with him when he won. They will abandon him when he leaves office.
Some are still hanging in believing Trump will yet find a way to retain the presidency. When they see Biden move into the White House, some of those will realize their error and their support will fade.
Those who enjoyed the buzz Trump's many tweets gave them will simply stop thinking about Trump several times a day like they used to. As that happens, their interests will shift to other things.
There are dozens of ways people's connection to and support of Trump will fade. That's partly because when he is no longer president, Trump's ability to cultivate those connections is greatly diminished.
The prime media spotlight will not follow Trump to Florida. It will remain on the sitting president as it always has.
Trump will remain in the news for a long time but not like before. After Wednesday, he can no longer issue executive orders. If Trump's lifetime Twitter ban remains in place, Republican fear of the mean tweet will fade. Trump will no longer have the power over government regulations he had before. He will no longer be able to use the White House and other iconic symbols as backdrops to emphasize his relevance. No more Marine 1. No more Air Force 1. No more people begging to get on his calendar in an attempt to lobby for one policy move or another. No more pressing a button on his desk to have a Diet Coke delivered to him, unless he wants to pay someone to do that. No more generals to instantly appear if he wants to talk to or be seen with them. No more TV cameras showing him in charge of cabinet meetings. No more greats standing before him as he hangs medals on them. No more visits from foreign heads of state. No more lots of things he previously enjoyed, and his supporters also enjoyed.
