IMHO - Trump is very much the politician like the rest of the candidates right and left. He's just better at manipulating the media and he's more fun for the media to cover. It comes down to entertainment and news ratings rather than substance.
One of the reasons Trump is popular is his salesmanship. He tells people what they want to hear, especially if it's simplistic and goes along with their pre-conceived ideas. No challenging them. Unfortunately for us, unlike a business deal that comes with a contract, we have to trust politicians that they will keep their side of a bargain.
Waterboarding & other tortures - it seems a quick solution that punishes those you pre-determine to be guilty. That experts tell you it doesn't work is beside the point. Push the contrived and very rare situation of the immediate threat straight out of the movies and television. Despite what you see on television, intelligence agencies want the long term information about the whole organization, especially the money trail. For that, the agencies need cooperation not panic based lies.
Border fence - An idea that the average American can picture so it seems right. The fact that it will cost billions and take years is skimmed over. With people overstaying tourist, education and other visas being half the illegal problem, it's not enough of a solution. I think a faster and more efficient method would be to crack down on businesses but that would be not be PC for the Republican base. The PC stance is that the problem with illegal immigration is the government not corporate greed.
Chasing people out of your meetings without coats - If they are disruptive, calm professional security escorts them out. Taking coats is THEFT. Throwing people into the winter without coats is at a minimum bad manners. I'm middle class, middle aged and Middle West (you would think Republican base) and I'm appalled that such behavior is cheered.