Analysis: Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it is...

4y ago Aug 17, 2022 at 10:00 PM

Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it is my great honor to Strongly Endorse him. I do this not because of the fact that he headed up the Impeachment Committee and lost, but because he was honorable, fair, and highly intelligent. While it was my honor to beat him, and beat him badly, Dan Goldman has a wonderful future ahead….

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AI Analysis

Machine-generated analysis of the post above on 2026-03-19. Not written by the author of the post.

Danger Level

None

Narcissistic State

Grandiose

Authorship

Uncertain

Intensity

45%

Trump deploys a transparently sarcastic "endorsement" of Dan Goldman, the lead counsel in his first impeachment inquiry, who was running in the NY-10 Democratic primary. This is a weaponized endorsement — a well-documented Trump tactic designed to damage a Democrat by associating them with Trump in voters' minds. The post is psychologically significant for its grandiose narcissistic framing: Trump positions himself as a magnanimous victor graciously praising a vanquished foe. The praeteritio ("not because he headed up the Impeachment Committee") ensures impeachment is front and center while disclaiming it. The distortion of impeachment proceedings into a personal contest he "beat badly" reflects characteristic reality reshaping. The trailing ellipsis on "wonderful future ahead…" carries an implicit threat of continued attention. The post demonstrates ego-syntonic sadism — pleasure derived from the power inversion of endorsing someone who tried to remove him from office. Notably, Goldman won the primary six days later, suggesting the tactic failed. The post's strategic sophistication and polished construction contrast with Trump's more impulsive output, suggesting either careful composition or aide collaboration.

Authorship Analysis

Uncertain

Indicators:

Business hours (6 PM EDT)
Polished grammar and complete sentences
Strategic construction suggests planning
Ellipsis ending is classic Trump marker
Sardonic psychological complexity fits Trump's voice

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Preemptive Attack (Dan Goldman / impeachment memory)

Sentiment

+0.30

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

70%

Antisocial

40%

Paranoid

10%

Sadism

70%

Defense Mechanisms:

reaction formationdistortionacting out

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

70%

Parasocial Techniques:

positioning self as kingmaker whose endorsement determines elections

Fact Checks (2)

"Dan Goldman headed up the Impeachment Committee"

Mostly False

Goldman served as lead counsel for the House Intelligence Committee during the first impeachment inquiry, not as head of a committee. He was staff, not a member of Congress at that time.

"He beat Goldman badly"

Half True

Trump was acquitted by the Senate but was impeached by the House. Goldman was counsel, not an opposing party. Framing impeachment as a personal contest with Goldman distorts the proceedings.

Receipts (1)

“Dan Goldman headed up the Impeachment Committee”

vs.

“Dan Goldman was 'illegally targeting President TRUMP.'”

In this 2022 post Trump declares it his 'great honor to Strongly Endorse' Goldman and explicitly praises him as 'honorable, fair, and highly intelligent' with 'a wonderful future ahead.' The 2026 source post calls Goldman 'weak and pathetic,' a 'jerk,' and celebrates his political defeat. This is a near-complete reversal of stated character assessment and political stance toward the same individual on the same grounds (his conduct toward Trump and his fitness for office).

View contradicting post →

Psychological Analysis: Sarcastic "Endorsement" of Dan Goldman (2022-08-17)

Overview

This post is a masterclass in passive-aggressive trolling. Trump offers a transparently sarcastic "endorsement" of Dan Goldman — the lead counsel in Trump's first impeachment inquiry — who was running in the NY-10 Democratic primary. The intent is to weaponize a faux endorsement to damage Goldman among Democratic voters by associating him with Trump. This is a sophisticated dominance display disguised as magnanimity.

Authorship

Posted at 6:00 PM EDT (Trump at Bedminster, NJ for summer 2022). Business hours, polished grammar, complete sentences, and strategic construction suggest possible aide involvement, though the sardonic wit and psychological complexity are characteristically Trump. The ellipsis ending is a classic Trump stylistic marker. Mixed attribution — likely Trump-directed if not Trump-authored.

Psychological Dynamics

The post is driven by ego-syntonic sadism — Trump derives visible pleasure from the power inversion. The man who tried to remove him from office is now subject to Trump's "great honor." The phrase "beat him badly" reframes impeachment (where Trump was acquitted but impeached) as a personal victory over Goldman specifically.

The construction "I do this not because... but because" is a classic praeteritio — raising the impeachment precisely by claiming not to mention it. Every "compliment" carries a barb: calling Goldman "honorable" and "fair" in impeachment implicitly argues the process was legitimate but failed, reinforcing Trump's narrative of invincibility.

Defense Mechanisms

Reaction formation: Hostility expressed as magnanimous praise
Distortion: Reframing impeachment as a personal contest he "won badly"
Acting out: Using public platform to interfere in opponent's primary

Narcissistic State

Grandiose. Trump positions himself as so powerful that his endorsement — even a transparently sarcastic one — can determine a Democratic primary outcome. The post asserts dominance over Goldman, over the impeachment narrative, and over Democratic voters simultaneously.

Rhetorical Techniques

The post employs ironic endorsement as a political weapon, a tactic Trump has used repeatedly. The surface-level reading (genuine praise) and the intended reading (poisonous association) create plausible deniability. The phrase "wonderful future ahead" with the trailing ellipsis carries an implied threat — Trump will be watching.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Dan Goldman headed up the Impeachment Committee"	Mostly False	Goldman served as lead counsel for the House Intelligence Committee during the first impeachment inquiry, not as head of a committee. He was staff, not a member of Congress at that time.
"He beat Goldman badly"	Half True	Trump was acquitted by the Senate but was impeached by the House. Goldman was counsel, not an opposing party. Framing impeachment as a personal contest with Goldman distorts the proceedings.

Overall Veracity: 35%

Receipts (1)

reversal — dan-goldman-was-illegally-targeting-president-trump (4 years later)

> "Dan Goldman headed up the Impeachment Committee"

vs.

> "Dan Goldman was 'illegally targeting President TRUMP.'"

[View contradicting post →](/post/ts_116802857184219655)