# Post x_810288321880555520

- Post ID: `x_810288321880555520`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2016-12-18T00:59:25.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_810288321880555520
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_810288321880555520/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_810288321880555520.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!

## Engagement

- Likes: 65,643
- Reposts: 17,978
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.370Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-11T07:50:18.749Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._

## Analysis: "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back"

### Context
On December 15, 2016, China's Navy seized an unmanned U.S. Navy underwater glider (ocean research drone) in the South China Sea. This was a significant diplomatic incident during the transition period. Trump had already posted about it earlier on Dec 17 ("China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act."). This follow-up post escalates his rhetorical stance.

### Timing & Authorship
Posted 00:59 UTC on Dec 18. Trump was at his "Thank You" rally tour — in Mobile, Alabama on Dec 17 (CST, UTC-6), making this ~6:59 PM local time. However, given the rally was at 3 PM and the casual, impulsive tone, this is likely posted in the post-rally evening window. The style — short, punchy, provocative, dash usage — is consistent with authentic Trump.

### Psychological Analysis
This post is a masterclass in dominance signaling disguised as indifference. By saying "let them keep it," Trump performs contemptuous dismissal — the drone (and by extension, China's provocation) is beneath notice. This is a power move: refusing to negotiate from a position of apparent unconcern while simultaneously labeling China as thieves.

The post functions as a preemptive foreign policy statement from a president-elect, notably undermining the Obama administration's ongoing diplomatic efforts to recover the drone. It signals Trump's preferred negotiating posture: unpredictability and dominance through theatrical indifference.

### Rhetorical Technique
The "let them keep it!" functions as a taunt — daring China while simultaneously signaling to domestic audiences that he won't be pushed around. The framing ("stole") maintains the moral high ground while the dismissal ("don't want it back") asserts dominance.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "China stole a US Navy research drone" | **Mostly True** | China's Navy did seize an unmanned US underwater glider on Dec 15, 2016 in the South China Sea. 'Stole' is editorializing — China claimed it was removing a navigational hazard and later returned it. |

Overall Veracity: 80%

## Authorship Analysis

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

### Indicators

- Dash usage typical of Trump's casual style
- Short provocative statement
- Evening post-rally timing
- Impulsive foreign policy freelancing
- Exclamation mark emphasis

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Supply Seeking (China drone seizure / opportunity to contrast with Obama)

Sentiment: -0.30

**Mildly Hypomanic**
- Post-rally high energy
- Impulsive foreign policy commentary

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 50%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 10%
- Sadism: 20%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- devaluation (immature)
- acting out (immature)

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

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- inclusive 'we' creating shared national identity
- simple declarative framing audiences can repeat

## Fact Checks (1)

_The model's verdicts from 2026-03-11._

> China stole a US Navy research drone

**MOSTLY TRUE**

China's Navy did seize an unmanned US underwater glider on Dec 15, 2016 in the South China Sea. 'Stole' is editorializing — China claimed it was removing a navigational hazard and later returned it.

Sources: Contemporary news reports of the incident

Overall Veracity: 80%

## Tags

- foreign-policy (90%)
- china (90%)
- dominance-display (80%)
- transition-period (70%)

## That day

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

**Post-Rally Glow Fades Into Grievance as Trump Pivots from Alabama High to Victimhood**

Trump spent the day coming down from a Thank You Tour rally in Alabama, posting gratitude to supporters and asserting his "America First" brand. He weighed in on the China underwater drone incident with a provocative, dismissive taunt. By late afternoon, the mood shifted sharply into grievance territory, with a post framing his supporters as victims of a double standard while implicitly signaling their capacity for collective action. A quiet day by volume, but the afternoon turn toward victimhood stood out.

Full digest for 2016-12-18: https://trump.fm/date/2016-12-18/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2016, December 18). We should tell China that we don't want the drone... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_810288321880555520
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they..." X (Twitter), 18 Dec. 2016. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_810288321880555520. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they...," X (Twitter), December 18, 2016, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_810288321880555520.

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