The other thing to consider is that Trump behaves like a business man negotiating before an actual negotiation meeting takes place. Many times you'll see him make an outrageous, inflammatory statement before meeting with an opponent, only to reverse considerably once he meets with them and a deal is struck. It's an overt negotiation tactic used since the dawn of time. Crude, but effective. Certainly not what politicians are used to. The idea, of course, is to go into the meeting with the perception that you're going to get everything and the other side is going to get nothing, and then, once you give on some key points (that weren't all that important to you in the first place) you look magnanimous in striking "a deal".
Flynn was pro-Russia > got shitcanned > Russian jet buzzes US warship > Putin reaffirms Crimea is theirs. This is very troubling. Trump was very pro-Russia during the leadup to the election only for two reasons: 1) Putin's Russia HATED Clinton and made it publicly known. 2) Putin is the only sovereign power to actually levy war against ISIS. White hats and black hats within US intel community. White hats are patriots who support Trump and oppose globalists. Black hats are globalists fucks who want war with Russia and scuttle Trump. Black hats trying to establish Trump-Russian link, that Russia is up to no good, that Russia has to be dealt with or Trump's credibility is zero. That appears to be the theme of the leaks. The conclusion is that the US Shadow Government wants war with Russia, and will try to destroy a sitting President if he does not comply. Trump has made concessions to the globalists on russia, re crimea. But they don't give a shit. Still out to crucify Trump at the stake. Their goal is to rid America of Trump and Putin of Russia!! So now we've got traitors in the US intel community. Cocksuckers everywhere. Time to out these traitors in US Intel community and arrest them for the leaks!!!!!!
Your attempt to paint this action in the most negative possible light notwithstanding, it is a commonly used business practice when two heavyweight and public figures meet in business.
Trump fans think he has everything figured out ahead of time. Those more critical, and arguably more objective, see that he's just winging it. That conclusion is already supported by the various missteps so early in the administration. He's just fumbling along and hoping it all works out. I readily admit to really disliking the guy. So you may think I'm too negatively biased. But I would give credit where it is due. None is due.
I'm being honest here, Freddie, but I never seen evidence that you would indeed give credit if any was due to Trump or anyone else on the side of conservatives. That being said, I would agree with both your points that Trump fans think he has everything figured out, and that he probably doesn't have everything figured out ahead of time and is winging a lot of this. Some of this is because the previous administration was so pissed Trump won that they did everything in their power to make the transition as complex and difficult as possible. Say what you want about Bush, but he never did that to Obama. Bush put the security and continuity of the country above his own personal feelings. Obama was/is a lot less mature. Additionally, democrats and establishment republicans have done their best to make sure Trump starts with the most cabinet vacancies in a long, long time. So there's lots of culpability here, plenty to go around. Trump brought a lot on himself for being so uncompromising. But that's what voters hired him for - his uncompromising philosophy.
Even Trump's own Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, concluded that there is very little doubt that Russia interfered in the election, as well as other democratic elections elsewhere. How is it that these guys in the loop, and now even Trump himself, all concede that Russia hacked and interfered but guys on the Internet know better? Come on.