Analysis: In writer Salena Zito’s Fake News “puff piece” about DeSanti...

3y ago Feb 19, 2023 at 8:50 PM

In writer Salena Zito’s Fake News “puff piece” about DeSantis, which supposedly appeared in the dying New York Post, which is way down in readership just like FoxNews is way down in Ratings, why doesn’t she mention that he wants to cut Social Security & Medicare, loves losers like Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, and Karl Rove, and it getting CLOBBERED in the polls by me. DeSantis is a RINO who is trying to hide his past. I don’t read the New York Post anymore. It has become Fake News, just like Fox & WSJ!

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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

Self-Written

Intensity

75%

This post represents a textbook narcissistic injury response triggered by favorable media coverage of rival Ron DeSantis. The single-paragraph cascade attacks six distinct targets — journalist, publication, media ecosystem, rival, and associated political figures — revealing the breadth of hostile scanning activated by perceived threat. Most clinically notable is the wholesale devaluation of the entire Murdoch media ecosystem (NY Post, Fox News, WSJ), previously among Trump's strongest media allies. This splitting — from idealized ally to uniformly "Fake News" — is triggered by a single favorable DeSantis profile, demonstrating the fragility of object relations under narcissistic stress. The declaration "I don't read the New York Post anymore" while clearly responding to its content illustrates simultaneous denial and engagement, a pattern consistent with narcissistic withdrawal as punishment. The grammatical error ("and it getting CLOBBERED") and run-on structure indicate impulsive, emotion-driven composition without editorial review. The guilt-by-association technique — linking DeSantis to "losers" Bush, Ryan, and Rove — and the misleading Social Security claim reveal strategic (if crude) rhetorical intent beneath the emotional surface. This post fits a longitudinal pattern visible across the day's posts: systematic consolidation of party loyalty (Michigan GOP, Florida chairmanship) paired with aggressive boundary-marking against perceived rivals.

Authorship Analysis

Self-Written

Indicators:

Run-on sentence structure
Grammatical error ('and it getting')
ALL CAPS for emphasis
Stream-of-consciousness multi-target attack
Emotional reactivity disproportionate to trigger

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Narcissistic Injury — Comparison (Salena Zito profile of DeSantis in NY Post)

Rage: Intensity 70% targeting DeSantis, Salena Zito, NY Post, Fox News, WSJ

Proportionality

30%

Sentiment

-0.80

Mildly Hypomanic

Rapid multi-target attack in single paragraphGrandiose dismissal of major media outletsPressured quality to the writing

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

80%

Antisocial

30%

Paranoid

50%

Sadism

40%

Defense Mechanisms:

devaluationsplittingdenial

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

50%

Cognitive Markers:

tangentiality

Parasocial Techniques:

Polling numbers as proof of worthFraming media criticism as betrayal of shared values

Danger Assessment

None

Gaslighting Detected:

Labeling factual reporting as 'Fake News'
Dismissing legitimate journalism as 'puff piece'
Wholesale reality distortion about media credibility

Reality Distortions:

Characterizing the NY Post as 'dying' when it remains a major publication
Misrepresenting DeSantis's position on Social Security/Medicare
Claiming all Murdoch media is now 'Fake News'

Fact Checks (3)

"DeSantis wants to cut Social Security & Medicare"

Mostly False

DeSantis as a congressman voted for budgets containing entitlement reform proposals, but as governor and 2024 candidate he explicitly stated he would not cut Social Security or Medicare. Trump's framing is misleading.

"New York Post is 'way down in readership'"

Mostly False

The NY Post remained one of the highest-circulation newspapers in the US in 2023, though print media generally declined.

"DeSantis is 'getting CLOBBERED in the polls' by Trump"

Mostly True

In February 2023, Trump led DeSantis in most GOP primary polls, though margins varied (some showed competitive races). 'Clobbered' is hyperbolic but directionally accurate.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Psychological Analysis: Anti-DeSantis Attack via Media Criticism

Context

This post is a multi-target attack triggered by a favorable profile of Ron DeSantis by journalist Salena Zito in the New York Post. Trump was likely at Mar-a-Lago (Palm Beach, FL) in mid-February 2023; 3:50 PM ET — afternoon timing, but the raw emotional quality and run-on syntax strongly suggest authentic authorship.

Personality Framework

Level 1 (Traits): Extremely low agreeableness (combative, dismissive), high neuroticism (angry hostility), high extraversion (assertiveness/dominance). The post attacks six distinct targets in a single paragraph — Zito, the NY Post, Fox News, DeSantis, Jeb Bush/Paul Ryan/Karl Rove — revealing broad hostile scanning.

Level 2 (Motives): Pure dominance/status maintenance. The emerging DeSantis threat activates intense territorial behavior. Polling superiority is cited as the decisive metric of worth.

Level 3 (Narrative): Trump casts himself as the authentic conservative betrayed by formerly allied media (NY Post, Fox, WSJ — all Murdoch properties). DeSantis is framed as a "RINO" hiding his true record. The narrative is contamination: these outlets were once good, now corrupted.

Clinical Indicators

The post displays narcissistic rage disproportionate to the stimulus (a single profile piece). The cascade of devaluation across multiple targets is consistent with splitting. The grammatical error "and it getting CLOBBERED" (likely meant "is") suggests rapid, unedited composition driven by emotional urgency.

Rhetorical Analysis

Notable deployment of guilt-by-association (linking DeSantis to "losers"), appeal to polls as authority, and media delegitimization across the entire Murdoch ecosystem — a significant escalation given these were historically allied outlets.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"DeSantis wants to cut Social Security & Medicare"	Mostly False	DeSantis as a congressman voted for budgets containing entitlement reform proposals, but as governor and 2024 candidate he explicitly stated he would not cut Social Security or Medicare. Trump's framing is misleading.
"New York Post is 'way down in readership'"	Mostly False	The NY Post remained one of the highest-circulation newspapers in the US in 2023, though print media generally declined.
"DeSantis is 'getting CLOBBERED in the polls' by Trump"	Mostly True	In February 2023, Trump led DeSantis in most GOP primary polls, though margins varied (some showed competitive races). 'Clobbered' is hyperbolic but directionally accurate.

Overall Veracity: 40%