I've said this before, and I feel vindicated after the recent Oval Office showdown - Russiagate became a self-fulfilling prophecy where Trump genuinely developed sympathy for Russia/Putin. Trump's raw emotions with Zelensky was a revealing moment into his psyche:
“Let me tell you, Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt, where they used him and Russia. Russia, Russia, Russia, you ever hear of that deal? … It was a phony Democrat scam. He had to go through it. And he did go through it.”