For the political novice, here's the way a tRump "joke"works.
1. He says what he wants his base to hear, knowing that Faux Noise will run the full story and the live audience reaction as well, if that reaction is properly supportive of tRump. Meanwhile, the sane faction of the country calls him out in a proper flaming blast.
2. All the usual suspects denounce tRump's pronouncements as irresponsible, bigoted, and whatever else may be accurate characterizations. Certain Republicans denounce but do nothing. Millions scratch their scalps in wonderment.
3. tRump waits a day while his devoted cadre (less devoted and smaller in number every day) spin a number of disintegrated tales.
4. tRump does not apologize, ever. Not even for his most egregious/disgusting diatribes.
5. A day or more later, tRump declares that either he never said what was distributed to millions of television viewers, or, alternately, his words were a joke, intended to be sarcastic,, or that the press is out to kill his chances for the presidency. BTW, press - you blew your chance to do that months ago.
6. Thanks to Faux Noise, his supporters don't hear the fuss, so they're happy because he called a target a bad name that they resonate to. The rest of us are merely mystified that the Republican Party hasn't simply duct-taped him to a pole in a dank parking garage and left him to be discovered by a non-existent custodian.
It may be a great strategy, but look at the polls. It isn't working.