Analysis: Peter Baker writes in today’s Failing New York Times that “B...

3y ago Jan 25, 2023 at 9:52 PM

Peter Baker writes in today’s Failing New York Times that “Biden’s Errors On Files Blur Trump’s Case.” That may be so, but perhaps in a different way than Peter, President Obama’s Biographer & biggest fan, had in mind. “Politically it has effectively let former president Donald J. Trump off the hook…” However, he states, that Biden has cooperated with authorities, while President Trump has not. This is just the opposite. We were dealing with NARA, adding extra locks at their request, etc., etc.

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AI Analysis

Machine-generated analysis of the post above on 2026-03-20. Not written by the author of the post.

Danger Level

None

Narcissistic State

Grandiose

Authorship

Uncertain

Intensity

40%

Authorship Analysis

Uncertain

Indicators:

Business hours posting (4:52 PM ET)
Trailing 'etc., etc.' is characteristic Trump verbal tic
Dismissive 'Failing New York Times' branding
Selective quoting shows engagement with source material
Relatively structured but with emotional undercurrent

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Supply Seeking — Exposure (Biden classified documents parallel providing vindication opportunity)

Sentiment

-0.20

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

60%

Antisocial

50%

Paranoid

30%

Sadism

10%

Defense Mechanisms:

rationalizationdistortionprojection

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

60%

Parasocial Techniques:

selective quotation for vindicationappeal to unstated evidence

Danger Assessment

None

Gaslighting Detected:

Inverting documented record: claiming cooperation when obstruction is documented
Framing a minimal security measure (padlock) as evidence of extensive cooperation

Reality Distortions:

'This is just the opposite' — documented record shows Trump team obstructed while Biden team cooperated
'Adding extra locks at their request, etc., etc.' — reframes minimal compliance during active dispute as willing cooperation

Fact Checks (2)

"Biden has cooperated with authorities while Trump has not"

Mostly True

Biden's team proactively disclosed documents and allowed FBI searches. Trump's team resisted subpoenas, leading to the Mar-a-Lago search. This is well-documented.

"We were dealing with NARA, adding extra locks at their request"

Half True

There were communications with NARA, and DOJ did request a padlock on the storage room. However, Trump's team simultaneously concealed documents and a Trump employee moved boxes to hide them from investigators. 'Cooperation' is a significant overstatement.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Psychological Analysis: Post ts_109752061017471055

Context

Trump responds to a Peter Baker NYT article comparing Biden's classified documents situation to his own. The post engages in selective quotation, reframing, and counter-narrative construction.

Authorship

Posted at 4:52 PM ET (Trump likely at Mar-a-Lago). Business hours, relatively coherent structure with selective quoting — could be either Trump or aide-assisted. The emotional engagement, dismissive nicknames ("Failing New York Times"), and the trailing "etc., etc." suggest authentic Trump involvement, possibly dictated or lightly edited.

Psychological Dynamics

The Biden classified documents discovery is a narcissistic supply opportunity — it validates Trump's grievance narrative. The post selectively quotes Baker to extract vindication ("let former president Donald J. Trump off the hook") while simultaneously attacking Baker's credibility (Obama biographer). This is a sophisticated have-it-both-ways maneuver: use the journalist's conclusion while undermining the journalist.

The claim "We were dealing with NARA, adding extra locks at their request" is a significant distortion. The DOJ investigation found Trump's team obstructed document return and misrepresented compliance. The "extra locks" detail refers to a padlock DOJ requested on a storage room, which Trump frames as cooperative compliance rather than a minimal security measure during an active dispute.

Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization: Reframes resistance to document return as "cooperation"
Projection: Accuses Baker of bias while engaging in selective reading
Distortion: "Just the opposite" — inverts documented reality

Rhetorical Analysis

Selective quotation is the dominant technique — extracting favorable fragments while attacking the source. The "etc., etc." ending implies extensive cooperation too voluminous to detail, a classic appeal to unstated evidence.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Biden has cooperated with authorities while Trump has not"	Mostly True	Biden's team proactively disclosed documents and allowed FBI searches. Trump's team resisted subpoenas, leading to the Mar-a-Lago search. This is well-documented.
"We were dealing with NARA, adding extra locks at their request"	Half True	There were communications with NARA, and DOJ did request a padlock on the storage room. However, Trump's team simultaneously concealed documents and a Trump employee moved boxes to hide them from investigators. 'Cooperation' is a significant overstatement.

Overall Veracity: 65%