Allies and aides tell POLITICO there was not one moment when the strategy shifted. Instead, it was a reaction to the fringe members becoming more prominent and, in their eyes, Republican leadership ignoring the worst offenders. “Those dangerous conspiracy theories took hold. These people got big followings. There was not enough leadership from the Republicans in charge when it came to this. And so early this year, he made a decision that was in line with why he chose to run in the first place: he had to specifically condemn this and show how false and dangerous it is,” one...