# Post ts_115908065089401787

- Post ID: `ts_115908065089401787`
- Platform: Truth Social
- Posted: 2026-01-17T02:25:15.880Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/ts_115908065089401787
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/ts_115908065089401787/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/ts_115908065089401787.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> These horrible Radical Left people, doing everything possible to destroy our Country, should pay a big price for this! It was a SET UP from the beginning. New York Courts, with many fair and wonderful Judges, are embarrassed by what has happened! We cannot let this pass.Michael Cohen says he was 'coerced' by Letitia James and Alvin Bragg to turn on Trump: https://nypost.com/2026/01/16/us-news/michael-cohen-claims-he-was-coerced-by-letitia-james-to-turn-on-trump/

## Engagement

- Likes: 24,430
- Reposts: 7,914
- Replies: 3,109
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-02-01T01:19:51.285Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-22T06:54:56.313Z (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 exemplifies Trump's vindication-through-victimhood pattern: seizing on Michael Cohen's reported recantation as proof of a long-claimed conspiracy. Psychologically, it oscillates between grandiose rage ("should pay a big price") and vulnerable victimhood ("SET UP from the beginning"), a mixed narcissistic state characteristic of injury-response. The post employs splitting (wonderful judges vs. horrible radical left), projection (attributing destructive intent to prosecutors), and rationalization (treating Cohen's latest reversal as definitive while dismissing his prior testimony). Of particular concern is the retributive language directed at named prosecutors from a sitting president. "Should pay a big price" is characteristically ambiguous — punitive but unspecified — maintaining deniability while signaling intent. "We cannot let this pass" shifts personal grievance into collective mobilization, a parasocial technique that recruits the audience into his retributive project. The gaslighting dimension is notable: legal prosecution is reframed as "SET UP," and Cohen's credibility is selectively invoked (credible now, liar before) based solely on alignment with Trump's narrative. This post is consistent with Trump's established baseline pattern of responding to legal adversity with externalization, enemy-identification, and retributive framing. The elevated danger rating reflects the specific targeting of named individuals (James, Bragg) combined with ambiguous threat language from a position of state power.

## Psychological Analysis: Post ts_115908065089401787

### Context
Trump shares a NY Post article about Michael Cohen claiming he was "coerced" by Letitia James and Alvin Bragg to cooperate against Trump. The post frames this as vindication of Trump's long-standing narrative that the New York legal cases were politically motivated.

### Authorship
Posted at 9:25 PM EST — late evening, consistent with Trump's personal posting window. The stream-of-consciousness style, emotional intensity, lack of paragraph breaks, and characteristic phrases ("Radical Left," "SET UP," "should pay a big price") all point strongly to authentic Trump authorship. The article link was likely seen on Fox News or forwarded to him.

### Psychological Dynamics
This post is a classic narcissistic vindication response. Cohen's reversal provides external validation for Trump's long-held "witch hunt" narrative. The post oscillates between **grandiose rage** (demanding punishment) and **vulnerable victimhood** (it was a "SET UP"). The phrase "We cannot let this pass" is notable — it shifts from personal grievance to collective imperative, recruiting the audience into his grievance.

### Defense Mechanisms
- **Projection**: "destroy our Country" attributes destructive intent to prosecutors
- **Splitting**: absolute good/bad framing — "fair and wonderful Judges" vs "horrible Radical Left people"
- **Rationalization**: Cohen's recantation reframed as proof of conspiracy rather than one person's shifting claims

### Rhetorical Analysis
The post follows a classic Trump rhetorical arc: (1) identify enemy, (2) express outrage, (3) claim victimhood, (4) invoke authority/validation, (5) call to action. "Should pay a big price" is characteristically ambiguous — punitive but unspecified. "We cannot let this pass" functions as a mobilization phrase.

### Danger Assessment
"Should pay a big price" from a sitting president directed at specific named prosecutors (Letitia James, Alvin Bragg) constitutes an elevated concern. While not explicitly calling for violence, it signals retributive intent from someone with state power. The collective framing ("We cannot let this pass") amplifies this.

### Cognitive Notes
Language complexity is baseline Trump — no notable deviations. ALL CAPS used for emphasis ("SET UP") is typical. The run-on structure (no line break before the Cohen quote) suggests hasty composition.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "Michael Cohen says he was coerced by Letitia James and Alvin Bragg to turn on Trump" | **Half True** | Cohen has made shifting claims over the years. While he may have made this latest claim, 'coercion' is his characterization and Cohen's credibility is low given multiple reversals. |
| "New York Courts with many fair and wonderful Judges are embarrassed by what has happened" | **Mostly False** | After exhaustive searching, no evidence was found of any New York judge, judicial body, or court administration publicly expressing 'embarrassment' about the Trump prosecutions. The claim appears to be Trump's own rhetorical framing projected onto the judiciary, not a reflection of any institutional position.

Evidence that could partially support the claim: In August 2025, a sharply divided five-judge NY appellate panel threw out the $500M+ civil fraud penalty as unconstitutionally excessive under the Eighth Amendment, producing 323 pages of fractured opinions with no majority. Justice David Friedman argued the entire case should be dismissed, writing that AG James's 'ultimate goal was not market hygiene but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career.' Justices Higgitt and Rosado wanted a new trial and joined the final disposition only 'with great reluctance and with acknowledgement of the incongruity' to break a deadlock. These dissents reflect judicial disagreement with aspects of the cases, but disagreement is not embarrassment — it is normal appellate function.

Evidence against the claim: The New York City Bar Association explicitly defended Justice Merchan's handling of the criminal case, stating 'the system worked as it should, with a grand jury concluding that sufficient evidence warranted bringing charges, prosecutors choosing to bring charges supported by the available evidence, and an impartial court presiding over the presentation of evidence.' The Bar Association also condemned post-trial rhetoric attacking the judiciary as 'dangerous.' The American Bar Association and Chief Justice Roberts spoke out against attacks on judicial independence, not in support of claims that courts were embarrassed. No formal statement from any NY judicial body — the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Office of Court Administration, or the Court of Appeals — expressed institutional embarrassment. Judge Merchan received only a minor 'caution' from the Commission on Judicial Conduct, not a serious sanction. The hush money conviction has not been overturned.

The strongest 'embarrassment' language came from politicians (Rep. Stefanik's ethics complaints, House Judiciary Committee reports) and one Democratic attorney (Julian Epstein, who called the prosecution 'an embarrassment to the legal system' on a radio show), not from sitting judges. Trump himself told Judge Merchan the case was 'a great embarrassment' for New York, which is his characterization, not the court's own assessment. The claim conflates partial appellate reversals and judicial dissent — both normal parts of the legal process — with institutional embarrassment, which no New York court has expressed. |

Overall Veracity: 35%

## Authorship Analysis

**Self-Written** (score: 90%)

### Indicators

- 9:25 PM EST posting time
- Stream-of-consciousness style
- Emotional reactivity
- Characteristic phrases (Radical Left, SET UP)
- No paragraph separation before linked content

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Mixed State**

**Trigger:** Supply Seeking — Exposure (Michael Cohen recantation / NY Post article)

**Rage:** Intensity 70% targeting Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, 'Radical Left'
- Proportionality: 40%

Sentiment: -0.75

**Mildly Hypomanic**
- Late-night posting with high emotional intensity
- Pressured quality to writing

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 70%
- Antisocial: 50%
- Paranoid: 60%
- Sadism: 30%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- projection (immature)
- splitting (immature)
- rationalization (neurotic)

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 40%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- collective grievance framing ('We cannot let this pass')
- vindication narrative recruiting audience agreement

## Danger Assessment

**ELEVATED**

### Indicators

- 'Should pay a big price' directed at named prosecutors by sitting president
- 'We cannot let this pass' — collective mobilization language
- Retributive framing against individuals who pursued legal cases

### Gaslighting

- Reframes criminal prosecution as 'SET UP' — delegitimizing legal process
- Cohen's recantation treated as definitive proof rather than one shifting claim
- Implies judicial embarrassment without evidence

## Fact Checks (2)

_The model's verdicts from 2026-03-22; a recheck of the unverifiable ones last ran 2026-03-29._

> Michael Cohen says he was coerced by Letitia James and Alvin Bragg to turn on Trump

**HALF TRUE**

Cohen has made shifting claims over the years. While he may have made this latest claim, 'coercion' is his characterization and Cohen's credibility is low given multiple reversals.

Sources: NY Post article linked in post

> New York Courts with many fair and wonderful Judges are embarrassed by what has happened

**MOSTLY FALSE**

After exhaustive searching, no evidence was found of any New York judge, judicial body, or court administration publicly expressing 'embarrassment' about the Trump prosecutions. The claim appears to be Trump's own rhetorical framing projected onto the judiciary, not a reflection of any institutional position.

Evidence that could partially support the claim: In August 2025, a sharply divided five-judge NY appellate panel threw out the $500M+ civil fraud penalty as unconstitutionally excessive under the Eighth Amendment, producing 323 pages of fractured opinions with no majority. Justice David Friedman argued the entire case should be dismissed, writing that AG James's 'ultimate goal was not market hygiene but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career.' Justices Higgitt and Rosado wanted a new trial and joined the final disposition only 'with great reluctance and with acknowledgement of the incongruity' to break a deadlock. These dissents reflect judicial disagreement with aspects of the cases, but disagreement is not embarrassment — it is normal appellate function.

Evidence against the claim: The New York City Bar Association explicitly defended Justice Merchan's handling of the criminal case, stating 'the system worked as it should, with a grand jury concluding that sufficient evidence warranted bringing charges, prosecutors choosing to bring charges supported by the available evidence, and an impartial court presiding over the presentation of evidence.' The Bar Association also condemned post-trial rhetoric attacking the judiciary as 'dangerous.' The American Bar Association and Chief Justice Roberts spoke out against attacks on judicial independence, not in support of claims that courts were embarrassed. No formal statement from any NY judicial body — the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Office of Court Administration, or the Court of Appeals — expressed institutional embarrassment. Judge Merchan received only a minor 'caution' from the Commission on Judicial Conduct, not a serious sanction. The hush money conviction has not been overturned.

The strongest 'embarrassment' language came from politicians (Rep. Stefanik's ethics complaints, House Judiciary Committee reports) and one Democratic attorney (Julian Epstein, who called the prosecution 'an embarrassment to the legal system' on a radio show), not from sitting judges. Trump himself told Judge Merchan the case was 'a great embarrassment' for New York, which is his characterization, not the court's own assessment. The claim conflates partial appellate reversals and judicial dissent — both normal parts of the legal process — with institutional embarrassment, which no New York court has expressed.

Sources: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/g-s1-84246/civil-fraud-penalty-president-trump-appeal; https://www.nycbar.org/reports/post-trump-trial-rhetoric-threatens-the-rule-of-law-and-public-safety/; https://www.nycbar.org/press-releases/condemning-president-trumps-attacks-on-the-supreme-court/; https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/n.y.-appeals-court-voids-fine--upholds-judgement-against-trump; https://www.foxnews.com/media/democratic-lawyer-calls-ny-trump-trial-embarrassment-legal-system; https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-wins-major-appellate-ruling-attacks-judge-who-oversaw-new-york-fraud-trial; https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/8/statement-on-the-new-york-appeals-court-s-decision-overturning-the-judgment-in-the-civil-fraud-case-against-president-donald-j-trump; https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/ny-appeals-court-throws-trumps-500-million-fraud-judgment-rcna217340; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_in_New_York; https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/stefanik-files-ethics-complaint-judge-engoron-trump-trial-rcna124554; https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-first-department/2025/index-no-452564-22-appeal-no-2834-2835-2836-case-no-2023-04925-2024-01134-2024-01135.html; https://www.nycbar.org/press-releases/statement-condemning-threats-to-impeach-federal-judges-based-on-disagreement-with-rulings/; https://stefanik.house.gov/2024/5/stefanik-statement-on-corrupt-ny-judge-overseeing-sham-case-against-trump-receiving-caution-for-breaking-judicial-conduct-code

Overall Veracity: 35%

## Tags

- legal-vindication (90%)
- retributive-threat (70%)
- narcissistic-vindication (85%)
- prosecutor-targeting (80%)
- cohen-reversal (90%)

## That day

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

**Greenland Tariff Ultimatum Caps a Day of Grievance Bookends and Imperial Overreach**

Trump's day swung between personal grievance and bold power plays. He opened the evening before by seizing on Michael Cohen's reported recantation to demand consequences for New York prosecutors, then moved to midday posts amplifying military authority over ICE resistance and threatening to sue JPMorgan Chase — while sneaking in election denial mid-sentence. The headline move was a formal tariff ultimatum against eight NATO allies unless Denmark sells Greenland, treating allied diplomacy as a security threat and positioning himself as the sole guarantor of world peace. The day closed with a call to arrest those involved in Biden-era autopen use, looping back yet again to the 2020 election.

Full digest for 2026-01-17: https://trump.fm/date/2026-01-17/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2026, January 17). These horrible Radical Left people, doing... [Social media post]. Truth Social. trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/ts_115908065089401787
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "These horrible Radical Left people, doing everything..." Truth Social, 17 Jan. 2026. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_115908065089401787. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "These horrible Radical Left people, doing everything...," Truth Social, January 17, 2026, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/ts_115908065089401787.

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