>>But like in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,”

It's not just Trump. The part of Republicanism that now self-identifies as MAGA goes at least as far back as Gingrich, probably to Nixon's Southern Strategy.

Dupe people into voting for your party over the years and two things can happen. They either figure it out and stop voting for you - or they take over your party, whch seems to be what has happened.