# Post ts_108840459246343661

- Post ID: `ts_108840459246343661`
- Platform: Truth Social
- Posted: 2022-08-17T22:00:09.112Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/ts_108840459246343661
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/ts_108840459246343661/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/ts_108840459246343661.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> 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….

## Engagement

- Likes: 17,904
- Reposts: 3,745
- Replies: 415
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-02-01T01:19:51.437Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-19T22:17:32.008Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._

## Summary

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.

## 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 — other (4 years later)

> "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 →](/post/ts_116802857184219655)

## Authorship Analysis

**Uncertain** (score: 60%)

### 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 formation (neurotic)
- distortion (pathological)
- acting out (immature)

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 70%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- positioning self as kingmaker whose endorsement determines elections

## Fact Checks (2)

_The model's verdicts from 2026-03-19._

> 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.

Sources: Historical record of first Trump impeachment

> 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.

Sources: Senate acquittal vote February 2020

Overall Veracity: 35%

## Receipts (1)

### reversal — other (4 years later)

> Dan Goldman headed up the Impeachment Committee

_Aug 17, 2022_

vs.

> Dan Goldman was 'illegally targeting President TRUMP.'

_Jun 24, 2026_

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](/post/ts_116802857184219655)

## Tags

- weaponized endorsement (90%)
- impeachment reframing (70%)
- ego-syntonic sadism (60%)
- kingmaker self-image (70%)

## That day

_From trump.fm's machine-generated digest of the day, not his words._

**Victory Lap Turns Vindictive: Cheney's Crushing Defeat Fuels Day-Long Dominance Display**

The day was dominated by celebration over Liz Cheney's historic primary loss in Wyoming, with Trump returning to the topic repeatedly from late the night before through the evening. Between bouts of gloating, he shared a flurry of supportive news links and launched a creative series of sarcastic "endorsements" of Democratic candidates clearly designed to sabotage them with their own voters. Brief flashes of anger surfaced around FBI and Mar-a-Lago coverage, but the overall mood was triumphant and expansive — a man reveling in the destruction of a political enemy while toying with others from a position of perceived strength.

Full digest for 2022-08-17: https://trump.fm/date/2022-08-17/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2022, August 17). Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress,... [Social media post]. Truth Social. trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/ts_108840459246343661
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it..." Truth Social, 17 Aug. 2022. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_108840459246343661. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "Lawyer Dan Goldman is running for Congress, NY-10, and it...," Truth Social, August 17, 2022, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_108840459246343661.

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