A series of stories are swirling around suggesting that Donald Trump never intended to be elected President, is surprised by his success, and may be looking for an honorable way to get out. Before the cable news networks weep over the loss of ratings and the Republican establishment drops to its knees to thank heaven, understand these are just stories. During a campaign people will say anything and believe anything. For example, John Kasich believes he is going to win a contested convention.

Still, due diligence requires us to examine the stories while Christian charity requires us to offer Mr. Trump reasons sensible-sounding enough to afford him a graceful exit from the race, should that be what he really desires, deep down.

The Stories

On March 29, a former strategist for the pro-Trump SuperPAC “Make America Great Again” claimed the billionaire never wanted to be President. “He doesn’t want the White House,” wrote Stephane Cegielski, “He just wants to be able to say that he could have run the White House.” Even his closest advisers didn’t expect him to win, she says. Cegielski claims she was told the Trump campaign was a “protest candidacy,” and that “the goal was to get The Donald to poll in double digits and come in second in delegate count.”

GOP strategist Cheri Jacobus confirmed to National Review that she was told pretty much the same thing by Trump staffers when discussing the possibility of becoming the Donald’s communications director. “He wanted to help his brand and have fun,” she said, “but not to be savaged by the Clintons if he’s the candidate.” Good point. Who wants to be trashed by one of your own wedding guests?

In the wake of the Cegielski exposé and Trump’s string of self-inflicted wounds, Huffington Post asked, “Does Donald Trump Really Want to Win the Nomination?”  HuffPost laid out eight semi-serious reasons it suspects Trump’s campaign is an “epic con designed to tear down failed institutions and make us come to grips with what we’ve become in this fallen, reality-television-besotted world.” For example, while Ted Cruz “RELISHES doing all that is required now in the hand-to-hand combat for delegates,” Trump”doesn’t want to bother with any event that is less than stadium size or any town where he wouldn’t want to build a hotel.”

When visiting the Old U.S. Post Office Pavilion in Washington, which he is converting into a top-end hotel, Trump casually remarked how he could easily go back to being a hotelier. Daughter Ivanka echoed this Tuesday, telling Sean Hannity’s radio audience Tuesday how much her father absolutely loves being a builder, and is giving up his passion to make this Presidential run.

Putting all the pieces together, John Fund of National Review suggests that Trump’s recent run of mistakes is self-sabotage:

“The number of people who have emailed me asking me if I think Trump is trying to do himself damage intentionally isn’t small,” tweeted Maggie Haberman of the New York Times. “Trump is playing into his opponents’ memes — phony, unprepared, hostile to women, unelectable, not a Republican, sloppy, vindictive, chaotic,” added Mark Halperin of Bloomberg News.

According to Fund, some Trump staffers were sitting around one day last fall imagining what Trump’s reaction would be if he actually won the presidency. “We concluded that he really would say, ‘Guys, what did you do to me? I had a great life.” Now I have to move to the White House?” The White House, keep in mind, would be slumming for the high-rolling Trump.

Or maybe the guy is just really wiped. New York magazine’s profile of Trump and his campaign suggests that exhaustion could be the reason the candidate has had such a horrid few weeks. “One explanation for all this raggedness is that the Trump team is simply burned out. People who know Trump say they’ve never seen him so tired.”

How to Return Trump to His Great Life

Putting aside that Trump still has a large delegate lead, is preparing to clean Ted Cruz’s clock in New York and is name-calling with the same vigor he did over the winter, what if the “Donald Doesn’t Really Want It” narrative is true? What if Trump realizes he’s in over his head and is looking for a life rope that can fish him out of the political waters with dignity? Perhaps we can be of humble assistance.

Ten Reasons Donald Trump Could Give for Leaving the Race

10. Decided he’s just not ready to downsize his living arrangements by moving into the White House.

9. His whole campaign has actually been a new Mark Burnett reality show and the show didn’t get picked up for the fall.

8. He just discovered how little the job pays.

7. The thought of Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting behind his desk on Celebrity Apprentice telling contestants “You’re terminated!” has simply become too much to bear.

6. “Let’s see: Spend my days working on the most beautiful resorts in the world or spend my days working on tax policy. In Washington. In the Summer. Uh, on second thought …”

5. Health issue. The thought of foregoing billions and billions in HUGE deals makes him physically ill.

4. Now convinced he can “Make America Great Again” one beauty pageant at a time.

3. Coming Spring 2017: Donald and Megyn: The New Regis and Kelly!

2. Discovered they won’t let him take the oath on a copy of his own autobiography.

And the Number 1 reason Donald could give for leaving the presidential race:

1. He’s volunteered himself to be the new ‘Most Interesting Man in the World'”