# Post x_290923445267603456

- Post ID: `x_290923445267603456`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2013-01-14T20:48:49.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_290923445267603456
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_290923445267603456/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_290923445267603456.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> Everyone is starting to feel the new tax hikes.  You get what you vote for!

## Engagement

- Likes: 380
- Reposts: 1,325
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.311Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-02-15T03:40:48.377Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._

# Psychological Analysis: Tax Hike Schadenfreude (January 14, 2013)  ## Context  On January 14, 2013, American workers were experiencing their first paychecks reflecting the payroll tax increase that took effect January 1. The "payroll tax holiday" had expired, increasing Social Security contribution rates from 4.2% to 6.2% for employees - costing a median-wage worker earning 0,000 approximately 00 annually. By mid-January, news coverage focused on workers noticing smaller paychecks, with surveys showing 55% reporting decreased take-home pay. This post capitalizes on that moment of economic pain for political point-scoring.  ## Authorship Attribution  **Assessment: 85% authentic Trump (high confidence)**  The post shows mixed indicators. The 3:48 PM EST timing falls within business hours, and the grammatically correct, complete sentence structure could suggest aide involvement. However, the content's punchy political tone, schadenfreude, and opportunistic exploitation of current events are quintessentially Trump. The "You get what you vote for!" gloating is highly characteristic of his authentic voice. Given this was part of a high-volume tweeting day (5 visible tweets) on political themes, this appears to be either Trump himself or an aide closely mimicking his authentic political messaging style.  ## Level 1: Dispositional Traits (Big Five)  **Dominant traits in this post:**  - **Agreeableness: Very Low (15th percentile)** - The post demonstrates antagonism, lack of empathy, and competitive hostility. Rather than showing concern for working Americans losing 00+ annually, Trump expresses satisfaction that they're getting "what they deserve" for voting differently.  - **Extraversion: High (75th percentile)** - Assertive political commentary, seeking public engagement, expressing opinions forcefully.  - **Agency > Communion** - Focus entirely on being right and superior; zero concern for others' welfare.  The most psychologically significant element is the **extremely low Agreeableness**, specifically the tender-mindedness facet. Normative response to news of working families losing significant income would involve at least performative sympathy. Instead, Trump frames their financial hardship as deserved punishment.  ## Level 2: Characteristic Adaptations  **Primary motives:**  1. **Status assertion** - "I was right, you were wrong" 2. **Vindication** - Seeking validation for having opposed Obama 3. **Dominance** - Positioning above those who made "foolish" choices  **Schemas revealed:**  - **Self-schema**: The superior predictor, the oracle who warned them, the one who understands economics - **Other-schema**: Voters divided into wise (those who agreed with Trump) and foolish (Obama supporters who deserve suffering) - **World-schema**: Zero-sum political competition where opponents' pain equals personal vindication  **Psychological trigger:** This is a **maintenance/supply-seeking** post rather than defensive. Trump isn't responding to injury but rather opportunistically exploiting news coverage to generate narcissistic supply through vindication.  ## Level 3: Narrative Identity  **Protagonist role:** The Oracle/Superior Predictor - "I told you so, and now you're suffering the consequences I warned about"  **Narrative sequence:** Neutral (no redemption or contamination arc in this single post)  **Identity claims:** - "I predicted this outcome" - "I understand economics better than Obama voters" - "I tried to warn people"  **Contrasting other:** Foolish Obama voters who ignored warnings and now face deserved financial hardship  **Life story construction:** This fits Trump's broader narrative of being the uniquely intelligent outsider who sees what others miss, surrounded by fools who suffer for not heeding his wisdom.  ## Level 4: Clinical Indicators  ### Malignant Narcissism Assessment  **A. Narcissistic Features (moderate: 0.6)** - Belief in superior predictive ability - Implicit grandiosity ("I knew better") - Need for vindication/validation - Lack of empathy for struggling workers  **B. Antisocial Features (mild: 0.3)** - Disregard for others' welfare - Exploitation of others' hardship for self-aggrandizement  **C. Paranoid Features (minimal: 0.1)** - Not prominent in this post  **D. Ego-Syntonic Sadism (moderate: 0.5)** - **This is the most clinically significant element** - Clear pleasure in political opponents' financial suffering - Framing hardship as deserved punishment provides gratification - No discomfort with others' pain; instead, vindication and satisfaction - The suffering serves narcissistic function (proves Trump was right)  ### Narcissistic Dynamics  **Trigger type:** Maintenance/supply-seeking (not defensive)  **Narcissistic state:** Grandiose - expansive, superior, validating own intelligence  **Rage:** Minimal (0.2/1.0) - This is satisfaction, not rage. The target (Obama voters) is experiencing consequences, which provides Trump gratification rather than anger.  **Supply source:** Vindication - "I was right and they were wrong, and their suffering proves it"  ### Defense Mechanisms  **Splitting (immature level):** "Everyone" is divided into binary categories: - The wise (implied: Trump and his supporters who warned about this) - The foolish (Obama voters who are now suffering deserved consequences)  **Devaluation (immature level):** Implicit devaluation of Obama voters as people who make poor decisions and deserve financial hardship as punishment for their political choices.  Neither defense is pathological-level, but both are immature mechanisms revealing black-and-white thinking about political opposition.  ### Cognitive Status  **No markers of cognitive impairment.** The sentence is clear, purposeful, and strategically deployed. Language complexity is low, but this is typical for Trump's social media style in this period and represents intentional communication choice rather than deficit.  **Baseline comparison:** This represents normal Trump baseline for 2013 - politically combative, opportunistic, schadenfreude-laden commentary on current events.  ## Rhetorical Analysis  **Primary rhetorical devices:**  1. **Vindication narrative** - "I told you so" framing positions Trump as prophet 2. **Appeal to consequences** - But distorted: implies voting directly caused personal tax increases 3. **Schadenfreude** - Sharing pleasure in opponents' misfortune as in-group bonding 4. **Oversimplification** - Complex fiscal cliff negotiations reduced to "you voted for this" 5. **Moral judgment** - "You get what you vote for" implies deserved punishment  **Propaganda techniques:**  - **Us vs them** - Binary division between wise Trump supporters and suffering Obama voters - **Exploitation of economic anxiety** - Using real financial hardship for political points - **Punishment framing** - Economic pain portrayed as justice for political choices  **Reality distortion:**  The post contains significant factual distortion through oversimplification. The payroll tax increase resulted from complex bipartisan fiscal cliff negotiations (the resolution passed Senate 89-8, House 257-167), not simply from "voting" for Obama. Moreover, the tax affected nearly all workers regardless of political affiliation - Trump supporters losing 00/year experienced identical financial impact. The framing "You get what you vote for" falsely implies the tax selectively punished Obama voters.  **Rhetorical effectiveness:**  For Trump's target audience, this is highly effective: - Provides in-group validation ("we knew better") - Offers schadenfreude bonding (shared pleasure in opponents' suffering) - Reinforces Trump's oracle status ("he warned us") - Simple, memorable, shareable phrase  **Psychological concern:**  The most troubling element is the **complete absence of empathy** for working Americans experiencing genuine financial hardship. A family losing 00 annually represents meaningful economic stress - yet Trump frames this as deserved punishment. This reveals ego-syntonic sadism: others' pain serves narcissistic gratification (proves Trump was right) rather than triggering concern.  ## Personality Psychology Integration  ### McAdams Three-Level Analysis:  **Level 1 (Traits):** Extremely low Agreeableness dominates - antagonism, lack of empathy, competitive rather than cooperative stance toward fellow citizens experiencing hardship.  **Level 2 (Motives):** Pure agency motivation (status, dominance, vindication) with zero communion (care, empathy, connection). The motive is to be proven right and superior, not to help or connect.  **Level 3 (Narrative):** Oracle identity - the one who sees what others miss, who warns the foolish, who is vindicated when predictions come true. This narrative casts Trump as uniquely intelligent and others as deserving their suffering for not heeding his wisdom.  ### Dark Tetrad Considerations:  - **Narcissism:** Grandiose self-perception, need for vindication - **Machiavellianism:** Opportunistic exploitation of others' hardship for political gain - **Psychopathy (subclinical):** Lack of empathy, pleasure in others' suffering serving self-interest - **Sadism:** Gratification from political opponents' financial pain  ## Danger Assessment  **Level: None**  No violent imagery, dehumanization, or mobilization language. This is political point-scoring, not incitement.  ## Fact Verification  ### Claim 1: "New tax hikes are being felt"  **Verdict: TRUE**  The payroll tax holiday expired January 1, 2013, increasing Social Security contribution rates from 4.2% to 6.2% for employees and 10.4% to 12.4% for self-employed. Workers earning median 0,000 wage lost 00 in annual take-home pay. By mid-January 2013, survey data showed 55% of respondents reported decreased take-home pay since December 2012, with 79% planning to cut consumption to compensate.  ### Claim 2: "You get what you vote for"  **Verdict: HALF TRUE / MISLEADING**  This oversimplifies complex fiscal policy and falsely implies selective punishment:  1. **Bipartisan resolution:** The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed with strong bipartisan support (Senate 89-8, House 257-167), not as purely Democratic policy  2. **Universal impact:** The payroll tax increase affected nearly all workers regardless of how they voted - Trump supporters and Obama supporters alike lost the same percentage of income  3. **Policy complexity:** The tax changes resulted from expiring Bush-era provisions and fiscal cliff negotiations, not simply from voting for Obama  4. **Misleading causation:** While Obama won re-election, framing the tax increase as direct consequence of individual voting choices distorts the complex legislative process  The factual core (taxes increased) is accurate, but the causal framing (voting caused your personal tax increase) is misleading political spin.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "New tax hikes are being felt in January 2013" | **True** | The payroll tax holiday expired January 1, 2013, increasing Social Security contribution rates from 4.2% to 6.2% for employees. Workers earning median 0,000 wage lost 00 in take-home pay. 55% of survey respondents in February 2013 reported decreased take-home pay since December 2012. |
| "Voters are responsible for tax increases ('You get what you vote for')" | **Half True** | The fiscal cliff resolution involved complex bipartisan negotiations. While Obama won re-election, the American Taxpayer Relief Act passed with bipartisan support (Senate 89-8, House 257-167). The payroll tax increase affected nearly all workers regardless of how they voted. The tax changes resulted from expiring Bush-era policies and fiscal cliff dynamics, not simply from voting for Obama. |

Overall Veracity: 75%

## Longitudinal Context  **Pattern consistency:** This post fits established Trump baseline for 2013: - Politically combative tone - Opportunistic exploitation of news cycles - Schadenfreude toward political opponents   - Simple, punchy declarative style - Focus on being right/superior  **No deviation from baseline patterns.** This represents typical pre-presidential Trump as political commentator and provocateur.  ## Key Psychological Insights  1. **Ego-syntonic sadism as narcissistic supply:** The financial suffering of working Americans provides Trump gratification because it validates his predictions. Their pain serves as evidence of his superiority.  2. **Empathy deficit:** No concern for families losing 00/year - only satisfaction at being proven right.  3. **Binary worldview:** Splitting everyone into wise (those who agreed with Trump) vs. foolish (those who voted for Obama and now deserve consequences).  4. **Vindication as primary motive:** Not trying to help, warn, or improve policy - only seeking validation for having been "right."  5. **Political opportunism:** Exploiting genuine economic hardship for point-scoring rather than addressing workers' concerns.  ## Clinical Significance  This post alone is **not clinically significant** enough to warrant detailed summary - it represents baseline Trump personality patterns without marked deviation. However, it does provide clear evidence of:  - Immature-level defense mechanisms (splitting, devaluation) - Ego-syntonic sadism (pleasure in opponents' suffering) - Extreme low Agreeableness (lack of empathy) - Narcissistic supply-seeking through vindication  These patterns are consistent with malignant narcissism but require longitudinal documentation rather than single-post diagnosis.  ---  ## Sources  - [United States fiscal cliff - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_fiscal_cliff) - [The Fiscal Cliff: A Primer - Tax Foundation](https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/fiscal-cliff-primer/) - [How did the expiration of the payroll tax holiday affect personal income for January 2013? - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis](https://www.bea.gov/help/faq/1020) - [My Two (Per)cents: How Are American Workers Dealing with the Payroll Tax Hike? - Liberty Street Economics](https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2013/05/my-two-percents-how-are-american-workers-dealing-with-the-payroll-tax-hike/) - [Payroll Tax Hike Will Affect Your Paycheck and the Economy - CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2013/01/14/payroll-tax-hike-will-affect-your-paycheck-and-the-economy.html) - [2013 Payroll Tax Increase Means Your Paycheck Will Shrink - CBS Texas](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/2013-payroll-tax-increase-means-your-paycheck-will-shrink/)

## Authorship Analysis

**Self-Written** (score: 85%)

### Indicators

- Posted at 3:48 PM EST (8:48 PM UTC) - business hours posting suggests possible aide involvement
- Grammatically correct, complete sentence structure
- However, punchy political tone and 'I told you so' sentiment very characteristic of Trump
- Fits pattern of rapid-fire tweeting on Jan 14 (5 tweets visible in context)
- Political opportunism and schadenfreude align with authentic voice

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Maintenance (News coverage of payroll tax increase impact)

Sentiment: -0.60

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 60%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 10%
- Sadism: 50%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- devaluation (immature)
- splitting (immature)

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 30%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Positioning as the prophet who warned them
- Creating in-group (those who 'knew better') vs out-group (Obama voters)
- Schadenfreude bonding - sharing pleasure in opponents' suffering

## Fact Checks (2)

_The model's verdicts from 2026-02-15._

> New tax hikes are being felt in January 2013

**TRUE**

The payroll tax holiday expired January 1, 2013, increasing Social Security contribution rates from 4.2% to 6.2% for employees. Workers earning median 0,000 wage lost 00 in take-home pay. 55% of survey respondents in February 2013 reported decreased take-home pay since December 2012.

Sources: https://www.bea.gov/help/faq/1020; https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2013/05/my-two-percents-how-are-american-workers-dealing-with-the-payroll-tax-hike/; https://www.cnbc.com/2013/01/14/payroll-tax-hike-will-affect-your-paycheck-and-the-economy.html

> Voters are responsible for tax increases ('You get what you vote for')

**HALF TRUE**

The fiscal cliff resolution involved complex bipartisan negotiations. While Obama won re-election, the American Taxpayer Relief Act passed with bipartisan support (Senate 89-8, House 257-167). The payroll tax increase affected nearly all workers regardless of how they voted. The tax changes resulted from expiring Bush-era policies and fiscal cliff dynamics, not simply from voting for Obama.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_fiscal_cliff; https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/fiscal-cliff-primer/

Overall Veracity: 75%

## Tags

- schadenfreude (80%)
- political_opportunism (90%)
- vindication_seeking (85%)
- low_empathy (80%)
- antagonism (70%)
- in_group_bonding (60%)
- economic_messaging (70%)

## That day

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

**Narcissistic Rage: Trump's Obsessive Maher Vendetta Reveals Core Fragility**

January 14, 2013 captures Trump's personality at a pivotal moment—having abandoned his 2012 presidential exploration but already positioning himself as political oracle. The day's 34 posts reveal grandiose narcissism with intermittent vulnerable states, dominated by a sustained rage spiral against Bill Maher. Five consecutive posts attack Maher for not paying $5 million after Trump literally responded to obvious satire by mailing his birth certificate. The vendetta—oscillating between vulnerable pleading ("Still waiting") and compensatory attacks ("dumbest man on television")—exposes profound fragility beneath grandiosity. The day also features projection (condemning Lance Armstrong for denial-then-admission pattern Trump himself employs), eight-year-old Emmy grievances, and prophetic-threatening rhetoric ("will be very embarrassed unless they get smart fast") that would become his political signature. All activity occurred during normal business hours (10 AM-5:35 PM EST), showing no hypomanic indicators. The psychological structure is fully formed—compulsive response to all slights, inability to recognize satire, poor impulse control, and immature defenses—years before political intensification. Most significant: Trump's literal interpretation of Maher's orangutan joke reveals either cognitive rigidity or defensive refusal to acknowledge mockery, both serving to protect a grandiose self-image against devastating satire.

Full digest for 2013-01-14: https://trump.fm/date/2013-01-14/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2013, January 14). Everyone is starting to feel the new tax hikes.... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_290923445267603456
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "Everyone is starting to feel the new tax hikes. You get..." X (Twitter), 14 Jan. 2013. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_290923445267603456. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "Everyone is starting to feel the new tax hikes. You get...," X (Twitter), January 14, 2013, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_290923445267603456.

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