Why do it?

Cause everyone's ass was gonna be grass. Zero sum game. I'm sure eventually even Trump and his family would have been on the chopping block too. I always have a chuckle when POTUS brings this up at rallies, about how good his life was before politics. In reality, knowing what he knew what choice did he have? He did it because he had to and because there was nobody else capable of pulling it off. Also, I think POTUS probably loves kicking the shit out of the deep state.