Post from X (Twitter)

Analysis: Retweet of Supporter Encouragement (2015-05-20)

This post is a simple retweet/quote of a supporter urging Trump to run for president with aggressive language ("Kick ass"). It is part of a cluster of similar retweets from the same morning, all amplifying supporter enthusiasm ahead of his June 2015 announcement.

Authorship

Posted at 3:39 AM ET (Trump was based in New York). The early morning timing and the pattern of rapid-fire supporter retweets is consistent with authentic Trump behavior — scrolling mentions and retweeting favorable ones during insomnia or early waking hours.

Psychological Function

This is straightforward narcissistic supply-seeking via curation. By retweeting supporters calling for him to run, Trump builds a narrative of popular demand — "the people want me." This is a classic pre-announcement strategy that serves both political and psychological purposes: it validates the grandiose self-concept while creating plausible deniability ("I'm just sharing what people are saying").

Rhetorical Note

The selected retweet uses combative language ("Kick ass"), which aligns with Trump's preferred warrior/fighter framing. The curation itself is the rhetoric — choosing aggressive supporters over polite ones signals the kind of campaign he intends to run.