I'm watching PBS, and Judy Woodruff just asked if a candidate has ever tried a base strategy to the extent that the Trump campaign has. The answer that jumps to mind for me is 2004, when Karl Rove designed a successful reelection strategy for George W. Bush this way. But there were some key differences -- the economy was strong, the Iraq War hadn't really plummeted in popularity yet, and that strategy brought a small majority for the reelected president. The Trump administration has really never wielded national majorities -- on issues, approval, or the 2016 result.