# Post ts_110935196222921147 - Post ID: `ts_110935196222921147` - Platform: Truth Social - Posted: 2023-08-22T20:39:18.784Z (UTC) - Deleted: no - Repost: no - Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147 - Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147/analysis - Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/ts_110935196222921147.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording) ## Post text > I was beating “Governor” Chris Sununu in his home State, New Hampshire, by so much, almost 50 Points, that he didn’t have the courage to run. He’s a selfish guy who should have run for the Senate, but now he’s stuck in never, never land, lonely and virtually unelectable! ## Engagement - Likes: 12,692 - Reposts: 2,718 - Replies: 541 - Views: unknown - Metrics collected: 2026-02-01T01:19:51.401Z (UTC) # Analysis _Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-20T07:18:41.298Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._ ## Summary This post targets Chris Sununu — a Republican governor who declined the 2024 presidential race — with a multi-layer devaluation attack. Posted under acute legal pressure (same day as Fulton County bond and social media restrictions), it reveals a notable pattern: external threat does not suppress Trump's aggression toward intra-party critics; it appears to displace and redistribute it. The attack is conducted from a grandiose rather than vulnerable state, suggesting polling leads are providing sufficient narcissistic supply to buffer legal stress. Clinically significant features include: (1) disproportionate investment in neutralizing a non-candidate, indicating Sununu represents a threat to Trump's self-concept beyond his political relevance; (2) the "selfish" attribution via projection — the post's sole purpose is ego-protection, yet selfishness is assigned to the target; (3) the unsolicited mentor framing ("should have run for the Senate") which combines contempt with a power-over posture, consistent with Kernberg's description of the malignant narcissist's need to be not merely superior but indispensable. The "never, never land" coinage efficiently deploys childishness, isolation, and irrelevance in three words. No danger indicators. Authorship is highly likely authentic. Post represents a stable grandiose baseline with no acute deviation from established pattern. # Psychological Analysis: ts_110935196222921147 **Date:** 2023-08-22 | **Platform:** Truth Social | **Age:** 77 --- ## Authorship Attribution **Verdict: Highly likely authentic (dictated or lightly edited) | Confidence: High** Post arrives at ~4:39 PM EDT (Bedminster, NJ — Trump's August residence), which is business hours, the one indicator suggesting aide involvement. However, every stylistic marker points to authentic Trump: scare quotes around "Governor," the specific polling magnitude deployed as a dominance display, the "never, never land" coinage, and the closing social isolation taunt ("lonely and virtually unelectable"). Aide-authored posts tend toward event announcements and professional construction; this is pure grievance discharge. Most plausible scenario: dictated or verbally directed to staff. --- ## Situational Context Sununu opted out of the 2024 presidential race in October 2022 and subsequently became a recurring media critic of Trump. This post arrives during a period of acute legal pressure (Fulton County bond, social media restrictions). On the same day Trump posted five other truths, several mocking his own indictment with ironic humor. The Sununu attack is the only post targeting a fellow Republican — psychologically notable: under maximum external threat, Trump nonetheless allocates aggression toward internal critics. --- ## Level 1: Dispositional Traits (Big Five) - **Extraversion (High):** Dominant, assertive, attention-commanding - **Agreeableness (Very Low):** Zero empathy, open contempt, competitive hostility - **Conscientiousness (Low):** Impulsive, reactive; no evidence of deliberation - **Neuroticism (Elevated):** Hostile affect, though more controlled contempt than raw rage - **Openness (Low):** Rigid zero-sum framing; no acknowledgment of Sununu's legitimate political reasoning --- ## Level 2: Characteristic Adaptations **Dominant Motive: Agency/Power** The post has no policy content. Its sole function is dominance affirmation — establishing that Trump's polling superiority rendered Sununu's non-entry an act of submission, not agency. By controlling the narrative of *why* Sununu didn't run, Trump claims the encounter as a victory even though no contest occurred. **Schema revealed:** Others exist along a single dimension: those who challenge Trump (and lose) versus those who recognize they would lose and forfeit standing. There is no dignified exit. Not running is cowardice; running and losing is humiliation. The only acceptable position is submission with public acknowledgment of Trump's superiority. --- ## Level 3: Narrative Identity **Protagonist role:** The unchallenged champion — so dominant that rivals flee without engaging. **Contrasting other:** Sununu as the cowardly non-competitor, now condemned to irrelevance ("never, never land") — a cautionary tale for other potential challengers. **Contamination sequence implicit:** Sununu *could* have had a future (Senate seat), but by failing to validate Trump through direct defeat, he squandered it. Trump positions himself as gatekeeper who could have bestowed legitimacy. **Identity claim:** "I am so powerful that even my potential opponents self-eliminate." --- ## Level 4: Clinical Indicators ### Narcissistic Dynamics **Trigger:** Sununu's continued public relevance as a Trump critic without having entered the arena constitutes a narcissistic injury — criticism without submission. In Trump's relational schema, critics must either enter the arena (where they can be defeated) or acknowledge Trump's dominance and go silent. Sununu has done neither. **Narcissistic state:** Grandiose and stable. No vulnerability oscillation. The attack is conducted from confident superiority, consistent with a period where polling leads provide robust narcissistic supply. **Rage:** Present but modulated (intensity ~0.55/1.0). This is contemptuous dismissal rather than reactive discharge — psychologically more concerning as a long-term pattern, as it represents normalized devaluation. **Proportionality:** Markedly disproportionate. Sununu is a non-candidate who declined to run over a year prior. Sustained attention to neutralizing him suggests he represents a threat to Trump's self-concept disproportionate to his current political relevance. ### Defense Mechanisms 1. **Distortion (Pathological):** "Almost 50 Points" — inflates polling advantage to support the dominance narrative 2. **Devaluation (Immature):** Complete status annihilation of an elected governor — reduced to "lonely and virtually unelectable" in a single sentence 3. **Rationalization (Neurotic):** Reframes Sununu's calculated political decision as moral failure ("didn't have the courage") 4. **Projection (Immature):** Calling Sununu "selfish" — this post's entire motivation is protecting Trump's own self-image; the selfishness attributed to Sununu is projected self-interest ### Malignant Narcissism Components - **Narcissistic features:** High (0.82) — grandiosity, entitlement, devaluation, contempt - **Antisocial features:** Moderate-low (0.30) — social norm violations but no explicit threat - **Paranoid features:** Low (0.20) — no persecution narrative in this specific post - **Ego-syntonic sadism:** Moderate (0.45) — the "lonely" flourish carries pleasurable cruelty; reducing a governor to a social outcast appears to provide satisfaction --- ## Rhetorical & Propaganda Analysis The post follows a consistent Trump template: 1. **Establish dominance metric** (polling gap) 2. **Delegitimize target's standing** (scare quotes on "Governor") 3. **Attribute retreat to character flaw** (cowardice, selfishness) 4. **Deliver social punishment** (isolation, unelectability) The "never, never land" metaphor is psychologically rich: Neverland is where children go who never grow up, excluded from adult consequence. It positions Sununu as an eternal child, perpetually excluded from the arena where real competitors operate. **Notable:** The unsolicited advice ("should have run for the Senate") positions Trump as a mentor whose guidance Sununu ignored to his own detriment — a magnanimous tone that makes the contempt more cutting. --- ## Cognitive Status No notable markers. Syntax coherent, vocabulary appropriate, no word-finding difficulties or temporal confusion. "Never, never land" is idiosyncratic but intentional. Complexity is low-moderate, consistent with Trump's established baseline for social attack posts. No deviation flagged. --- ## Gaslighting / Reality Distortion **Present but mild.** The polling claim ("almost 50 Points") misrepresents data in service of the dominance narrative. The reframing of Sununu's strategic decision as cowardice is a mild reality distortion — not an outright denial of documented fact, but a deliberate misattribution of motivation designed to foreclose alternative interpretations. --- ## Danger Assessment: **NONE** No eliminationist language, no dehumanization, no mobilization appeal. Conventional political devaluation of an intra-party critic. --- ## Fact Verification | Claim | Verdict | Evidence | |-------|---------|----------| | "Beating Sununu by 'almost 50 Points' in New Hampshire" | **Mostly False** | NH GOP primary polls in 2022-early 2023 showed Trump with commanding leads in multi-candidate fields (~40-50% vs. single-digit Sununu), but that is a full-field primary metric, not a head-to-head gap. The framing conflates different polling scenarios to maximize the magnitude claim. | | "Sununu 'didn't have the courage to run'" | **Unverifiable** | Sununu publicly explained his October 2022 decision in terms of political landscape assessment. Whether 'courage' was the relevant variable is a characterization, not a verifiable fact. | | "Sununu 'should have run for the Senate'" | **Mostly True** | Sununu was actively recruited by the NRSC and Republican leadership to challenge incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in 2024. His decision not to run was broadly lamented by party strategists who viewed the NH Senate seat as winnable with him as the candidate. | | "Sununu is 'virtually unelectable'" | **Unverifiable** | As a four-term governor who repeatedly won in a swing state, Sununu demonstrated strong electability. The claim is a forward-looking opinion about future races, not verifiable from polling available at time of posting. | Overall Veracity: 50% ## Authorship Analysis **Self-Written** (score: 82%) ### Indicators - Scare quotes around 'Governor' — signature Trump delegitimization device - Personal, vindictive tone with specific polling number deployed as dominance claim - 'never, never land' — characteristic Trumpian coinage blending childhood reference with contempt - Staccato insult cadence: 'selfish... lonely... virtually unelectable' - Post time ~4:39 PM EDT (Bedminster NJ, August residence) — business hours nudges toward aide-assist, but emotional specificity and punching-down quality suggest authentic dictation or light edit ## Psychological Profile ### State **Grandiose State** **Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Comparison (Chris Sununu) **Rage:** Intensity 55% targeting Chris Sununu - Proportionality: 20% Sentiment: -0.72 ### Clinical **Malignant Narcissism:** - Narcissistic: 82% - Antisocial: 30% - Paranoid: 20% - Sadism: 45% **Defense Mechanisms:** - distortion (pathological) - devaluation (immature) - rationalization (neurotic) - projection (immature) **Cognitive Complexity:** - Complexity: 38% **Parasocial Techniques:** - Polling number gives followers a concrete dominance proof to share - Isolation framing ('never, never land, lonely') invites followers to pity/mock Sununu ## Fact Checks (4) _The model's verdicts from 2026-03-20._ > Beating Sununu by 'almost 50 Points' in New Hampshire **MOSTLY FALSE** NH GOP primary polls in 2022-early 2023 showed Trump with commanding leads in multi-candidate fields (~40-50% vs. single-digit Sununu), but that is a full-field primary metric, not a head-to-head gap. The framing conflates different polling scenarios to maximize the magnitude claim. Sources: General knowledge of 2022-2023 NH Republican primary polling > Sununu 'didn't have the courage to run' **UNVERIFIABLE** Sununu publicly explained his October 2022 decision in terms of political landscape assessment. Whether 'courage' was the relevant variable is a characterization, not a verifiable fact. > Sununu 'should have run for the Senate' **MOSTLY TRUE** Sununu was actively recruited by the NRSC and Republican leadership to challenge incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in 2024. His decision not to run was broadly lamented by party strategists who viewed the NH Senate seat as winnable with him as the candidate. Sources: General knowledge of 2023-2024 NH Senate recruitment efforts > Sununu is 'virtually unelectable' **UNVERIFIABLE** As a four-term governor who repeatedly won in a swing state, Sununu demonstrated strong electability. The claim is a forward-looking opinion about future races, not verifiable from polling available at time of posting. Overall Veracity: 50% ## Tags - intra-party-attack (90%) - devaluation (88%) - grandiosity (82%) - polling-claim (75%) - projection (72%) - status-annihilation (80%) - republican-critic (85%) - Sununu (100%) - authentic-trump (82%) ## That day _From trump.fm's machine-generated digest of the day, not his words._ **Legal Siege Converted to Victory Lap: Grandiose Compartmentalization on the Eve of Surrender and Debate** Trump spent the day projecting calm dominance despite facing a Fulton County arraignment bond and sweeping social media restrictions. He opened with ironic comedy about his $200,000 bond, mocked low-polling primary rivals, and spent the afternoon teasing his debate boycott and claiming record poll numbers. The mood was consistently triumphant -- remarkably so given the legal pressure -- with only a brief flash of anger directed at New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. The most notable pattern was how thoroughly he avoided discussing the most constraining bond conditions, choosing instead to redirect attention toward the Republican primary debate he was skipping. Full digest for 2023-08-22: https://trump.fm/date/2023-08-22/analysis ## Citation - APA: Trump, D. J. (2023, August 22). I was beating “Governor” Chris Sununu in his home... [Social media post]. Truth Social. trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147 - MLA: Trump, Donald J. "I was beating “Governor” Chris Sununu in his home State,..." Truth Social, 22 Aug. 2023. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026. - Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "I was beating “Governor” Chris Sununu in his home State,...," Truth Social, August 22, 2023, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147. ## For agents - Site overview: https://trump.fm/llms.txt - API specification: https://trump.fm/openapi.json - MCP server: https://trump.fm/mcp (search and fetch tools, no auth) - This post as JSON: https://trump.fm/api/posts/ts_110935196222921147 - Analysis as JSON: https://trump.fm/api/analysis/ts_110935196222921147 - All citation formats: https://trump.fm/api/cite/ts_110935196222921147 - Same day: https://trump.fm/date/2023-08-22 - The record alone, without the analysis: https://trump.fm/post/ts_110935196222921147.md?analysis=false _Markdown view of a trump.fm page. Post, analysis, date, feed, contradictions, search and about pages answer in markdown at their URL with `.md` appended (`/index.md` for the home page), or when sent `Accept: text/markdown`._