Because as a liberal reality TV host, it all boils down to ratings, for President Trump.

While Republicans are upset that Trump sat in front of GOP leadership and agreed to a debt ceiling hike, attached to aid for Hurricane Harvey victims, with no debate, no compromise – just an immediate cave to Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi – Trump is reportedly reveling and upbeat over the positive news coverage he’s receiving.

You know… fake news. The media that he’s raged against, deemed enemies of the American people – they’re loving his turn to Democrat defender and he’s loving them back, now.

And it’s a lovefest for everybody!

In calls to his new best pals, Schumer and Pelosi, Trump raved over the positive news coverage that their coup has received.

Trump specifically mentioned TV segments praising the deal and indicated he’d been watching in a call with Schumer, two people said. And he was jovial in a call with Pelosi and agreed to send a tweet she asked for about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, these people said, while also mentioning the attention the deal had gotten. He indicated to both leaders he would be willing to work together again.

“He seemed super upbeat,” one person familiar with the calls said.

Another person familiar with the calls said Trump told Pelosi her coverage was even better than his. “The press has been incredible,” Trump said.

Pelosi herself bragged that she had gotten results after asking him to tweet reassurances that Dreamers shouldn’t worry about being deported over the next six months while lawmakers try to secure a DACA fix.

“I was telling my colleagues, ‘This is what I asked the president to do,’ and boom boom boom, the tweet appeared,” she said at a news conference Thursday.

Of course it did.

All that is required to get the reaction from Trump you seek is to give him a bit of praise. That’s what happens when you turn your trust to a man with no standards and no mooring in principle, beyond his own mercenary desires.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, when asked about the calls, she didn’t deny they happened.

“The president spoke to Sens. McConnell and Schumer as well as Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi this morning. The president is committed to working across the aisle and doing what is needed to best serve the American people. The president is also having dinner with Speaker Ryan later tonight,” she said.

I can only imagine that Speaker Ryan may use tonight to try and convince Trump to put his Republican mask back on, but what’s the point?

Once off, how can he recreate the illusion that fooled so many in 2016?