Post from X (Twitter)

Analysis: Trump Endorsement of Eddie Rispone — Louisiana Gubernatorial Race

Post ID: x_1190269335224430600 | Date: 2019-11-01 | UTC: 18:08

Authorship Attribution

Assessment: Aide-assisted / collaborative (confidence: medium)

The 2:08 PM ET timestamp (still EDT on November 1, 2019) falls squarely within business hours, consistent with Scavino-assisted posting. The grammar is complete and clean, with no characteristic typos or sentence fragments. However, several authentic Trump markers persist: the threading continuation prefix ...., ALL CAPS directives (GET OUT AND VOTE, GREAT), and the possessive stand with me — which is unlikely to be aide-invented language. The most probable scenario is collaborative composition: Trump provided emotional tone and directives, staff structured and cleaned.

Contextual Framing

This post is the second half of a paired contrast message, completing a thread that began with an attack on incumbent Democrat John Bel Edwards. The structure mirrors a standard political ad: fear/grievance (Edwards = Pelosi/Schumer/Sanctuary Cities) → relief/call-to-action (Rispone = jobs/Second Amendment/Trump loyalty). Posted against a backdrop of active impeachment proceedings (Vindman and Morrison testimony), this endorsement serves dual psychological functions: routine political fortification and supply-seeking from a receptive Southern audience while Washington closes in.

Psychological State

Narcissistic state: Grandiose (controlled, stable)

No injury response is detectable in this post. The trigger is classified as maintenance — routine coalition-building consistent with an established pattern of converting state and local races into personal loyalty referenda. The stand with me construction is the key tell: Rispone's electoral value is defined not by policy or independent qualifications but by his positional relationship to Trump himself. This is kingmaker narcissism in its most routine form — the grandiose self positioned as the axis around which lesser political actors orbit.

The post shows no oscillation toward vulnerable narcissism despite the week's events (World Series booing, impeachment testimony). This controlled grandiosity during an objectively threatening week suggests effective compartmentalization or deliberate public persona management.

Multi-Level Personality Analysis

Level 1: Dispositional Traits

• Extraversion (high, ~0.82): Assertive, directive, energizing register
• Agreeableness (low, ~0.22): Alliance is transactional; warmth is instrumental
• Conscientiousness (moderate, ~0.45): Elevated by aide editing; not intrinsically high
• Neuroticism (low in this post, ~0.2): Controlled affect, no rage or anxiety markers
• Openness (low, ~0.15): Conventional conservative policy catalog (jobs, 2A)

Level 2: Characteristic Adaptations

Agency motives dominate: The post is structured around the transmission of Trump's power to a proxy candidate. Stand with me is not a request for companionship (communion) but a demand for subordination (agency/power). The endorsement is simultaneously a test of loyalty and an assertion of political currency.

Schema revealed: The world is divided into those who stand with Trump and those who oppose him. Rispone's merit is entirely derivative — a successful businessman, yes, but primarily one who will align with Trump's agenda.

Level 3: Narrative Identity

• Protagonist role: Kingmaker. Trump casts himself as the decisive force in Louisiana politics — the endorsement that turns elections.
• Sequence: Implicit redemption arc within the thread: Louisiana under Edwards is contaminated (Pelosi, high taxes, open borders); Louisiana under Rispone will be redeemed (jobs, Second Amendment, Trump alignment).
• Contrasting other: Established in the preceding tweet: Edwards/Pelosi/Schumer as unified corrupt order.

Defense Mechanisms

1. Splitting (immature): Rispone is idealized as entirely positive; Edwards (in the preceding tweet) is devalued as entirely negative. No nuance or acknowledgment of complexity.
2. Idealization (immature): Successful conservative businessman — compressed credential claim that forecloses examination.

Rhetorical Analysis

The post is the positive half of a contrast pair. Key techniques:

• Geographic identity flattery: GREAT State of Louisiana activates local pride and tribal belonging
• Second Amendment activation: Reliable Republican base motivator; signals in-group membership
• Loyalty framing: Stand with me — converts a gubernatorial race into a Trump loyalty test
• Mobilization imperative: GET OUT AND VOTE — direct, imperative, energizing

No dehumanizing language, violent imagery, or stochastic terrorism indicators are present.

Danger Assessment: None

Routine campaign endorsement. No eliminationist language, no target identification, no threat escalation.

Fact Verification

Overall Veracity: 60%

Longitudinal Note

The broader November 1 tweet sequence is worth tracking: Trump moved between impeachment counterattack (Schiff/Pelosi), ISIS news, and gubernatorial endorsement within a single day. The emotional register is notably controlled given the World Series booing four days prior and active impeachment witness testimony. This may reflect effective compartmentalization, aide management of the public feed, or both. No cognitive deviation from established baseline is detectable.