The political success or failure of the Trump administration will be determined in large part by the answer to a simple question. Is Trump’s ability to give voice to the anger and resentment of his constituents adequate to offset his broken promises and what his enemies trumpet as his failure to improve the lives of those who voted for him?

No one is more aware of this issue than President Trump himself. His strategy for dealing with it was on full display last week after Congress delayed action on his bill to replace Obamacare — a prime example of legislation that will inflict costs on his own supporters.

At an open-air rally in Harrisburg, Pa. on Saturday that was timed as a counterstrike to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Trump pounded home his core message — that no matter what he does and no matter what Washington tries to do to him, he and he alone is on the people’s side.

“A large group of Hollywood celebrities and Washington media are consoling each other in a hotel ballroom in our nation’s capital right now,” Trump said. Looking out at his audience, with its Make America Great Again caps and its Deplorable Lives Matter T-shirts, Trump made the contrast between his people and Washington’s even more direct:

I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be 100 miles away from Washington’s swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people.

His goal, of course, was not only to ally himself with the crowd against the black-tie-wearing media celebrating at the Washington Hilton, but to goad and troll his opponents.