He doesn't think much of following the rules, either. Remember, when he tried to use eminent domain to seize property from a homeowner who didn't want to sell, he LOST. Because the court found that using eminent domain in that situation was ILLEGAL. So this "he was only playing by the rules" nonsense is bull***t.
They all went to court and Trump lost (according to your post). If he wanted the land but the courts denied it to him, then, according to the rules (i.e., law). Therefore, everyone played by the rules.
Your attempt to paint The Donald as a shyster, instead of a smart businessman isn’t very convincing.
Donald Trump is a man who knows who he is, knows what he wants, and knows how to get it. He can and will do what it takes to win.
And we haven’t had a winner in the White House for a long, long time.