I think you are probably right that he may not be fully informed on all of the technical and legal aspects of the separation of powers.  And I also think he probably doesn't care.  He has loads of advisors (as does every president) who offer opinions to him on what is permissible and on what is not, and I think he probably ignores most of it.  That is a product of his background in the business world, where he has always done what he wants to do.  And it is not always crystal clear what the legal answer is, which is why reasonable and knowledgeable people can come to completely different legal conclusions.  That's what the courts are there for.