I think the thing that works here is that it's a word right out of common parlance. Which is, I think, what worked against Clinton in 2016. "Deplorable" to most people is a five-dollar word. It's not something the average person says, it's not something the average person hears. Weird, however, is a word everyone has used before. It's common, and due to its common usage, everyone knows exactly what "weird" is to them. It conjures a predefined image born out of their social surroundings. Even right-wing chuds know other right-wing chuds they would consider "Weird".

If Trump tries to reclaim "weird", it will be, well, weird. I found some transcripts from his rallies, and tried replacing deplorable with weird, and it's not really hitting right.

Cincinnati Rally, August 1st, 2019

The conditions in Nancy Pelosi’s once great city of San Francisco are deplorable. They’re deplorable. Do you remember the word deplorable? Do you remember when Hillary used the deplorable? Deplorable was not a good day for Hillary.

The conditions in Nancy Pelosi’s once great city of San Francisco are weird. They’re weird. Do you remember the word weird? Do you remember when Hillary used the weird? [...] Weird was not a good day for Hillary.

"Do you remember the word deplorable?" I think, makes the case here that, even Trump understood the word was not common. He often brings up the word in this way, it seems, leading with "Do you remember ... ?"

Turning Point USA Teen Student Summit Speech, July 23, 2019

She said garbage. That’s worst than deplorable. Remember deplorable? Oh, yes, you do. Remember Hilary, the deplorables. She actually said a word that was worse. She said deplorables, and what was the second word? Irredeemables. That’s right. She said irredeemables. She said deplorables and irredeemables, and when she said it, I said, “Boy, that irredeemables is really a bad … ” Well, that was not the one. You never know in politics, right? It’s a tough business. You say a word, and you’re gone. One wrong word, you can make 20 great speeches, brilliant. They say, “He’s great, the greatest orator, the greatest orator of our times. He’s the great.” One word, and you’re gone, except for Trump because we represent you, because we represent you.

She said garbage. That’s worst than weird. Remember weird? Oh, yes, you do. Remember Hilary, the weirdos. She actually said a word that was worse. She said weird, and what was the second word? Irredeemables. That’s right. She said irredeemables. She said weirdos and irredeemables, and when she said it, I said, “Boy, that irredeemables is really a bad … ” Well, that was not the one. You never know in politics, right? It’s a tough business. You say a word, and you’re gone. One wrong word, you can make 20 great speeches, brilliant. They say, “He’s great, the greatest orator, the greatest orator of our times. He’s the great.” One word, and you’re gone, except for Trump because we represent you, because we represent you.

Looking back, it's pretty clear that the use of the word "deplorable" and, saying that some of these "deplorables" were "irredeemable", did a lot of damage to Clinton's campaign. Something she openly admits as well. It's possible that its usage could have lost her key votes that led to her losing the election. I think the usage really painted Clinton into an elitist box for voters.

Weird doesn't come off as elitist. Everyone knows someone they think is weird. Sometimes that weird is just, innocent, sometimes that weird is a small red flag. It doesn't draw a hard line in the sand, and from what I can tell it's not being followed up with stronger language in the way that "irredeemable" was. It's almost "playful", in a way that allows people to be "in" on the game. It allows people to be dismissive in a way that is almost disarming instead of combative. Again, I'm not sure if this is something organic being cooped, or if it's something workshopped. If it is workshopped, I think they're taking queues from 2016 and attempting to avoid what happened with deplorables.