Analysis: The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks c...

9y ago Feb 14, 2017 at 2:28 PM

The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?

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AI Analysis

Machine-generated analysis of the post above on 2026-03-11. Not written by the author of the post.

Danger Level

None

Narcissistic State

Vulnerable

Authorship

Uncertain

Intensity

45%

This post, written the morning after Michael Flynn's forced resignation as National Security Advisor, demonstrates a classic deflection pattern that would become a defining feature of Trump's presidency. Rather than addressing Flynn's deception of the Vice President or the substance of his undisclosed communications with the Russian ambassador, Trump reframes the entire episode as a leak problem. The phrase "the real story here" is an explicit attempt to override public interpretation — a reframing device deployed at a moment of genuine vulnerability. The pivot to North Korea serves to elevate Trump's self-image as a serious geopolitical actor while simultaneously implying that leakers endanger national security. This post marks an early instance of what would become a sustained campaign against the intelligence community and represents the contamination narrative in embryonic form: initial governing success being undermined by disloyal insiders. The defensive architecture — displacement, rationalization, denial — would intensify as the Russia investigation expanded.

Authorship Analysis

Uncertain

Indicators:

Business hours posting (9:28 AM EST)
Relatively clean grammar
Strategic framing rather than impulsive reaction
But rhetorical question style and topic selection are characteristically Trump

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Vulnerable State

Trigger: Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Flynn resignation / intelligence community leaks)

Rage: Intensity 50% targeting Washington leakers / intelligence community

Proportionality

30%

Sentiment

-0.50

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

40%

Antisocial

30%

Paranoid

50%

Sadism

10%

Defense Mechanisms:

displacementrationalizationdenial

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

50%

Parasocial Techniques:

Rhetorical questions creating shared outrageImplied insider knowledge of serious geopolitical dealings

Danger Assessment

None

Gaslighting Detected:

Reframing the Flynn scandal as a leak problem rather than a conduct problem
Implying the real wrongdoing is exposure rather than the underlying behavior

Reality Distortions:

Framing suggests leaks are the primary problem rather than the conduct they revealed

Fact Checks (1)

"Many illegal leaks coming out of Washington"

Half True

Leaks about Flynn's calls with Kislyak were real and potentially violated laws regarding classified intercepts. However, characterizing all leaks as 'illegal' is an overstatement — some disclosures may have been lawful whistleblowing.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Psychological Analysis: February 14, 2017

This post is a direct response to the Michael Flynn resignation, which was precipitated by leaked information about Flynn's communications with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Rather than addressing the substance of Flynn's deception of Vice President Pence, Trump redirects attention to the leaks themselves — a textbook deflection.

Context & Authorship

Posted at 9:28 AM EST (Trump was at the White House). The timing and relatively composed grammar suggest possible aide involvement, though the rhetorical strategy of attacking leakers rather than addressing substance is quintessentially Trump. The rhetorical question format and the pivot to North Korea (referencing the recent missile test) show strategic thinking about framing.

Psychological Dynamics

The post reveals a subject under perceived siege. Flynn's forced resignation represented a significant early blow to the administration. Rather than process the loss or acknowledge wrongdoing, the post employs displacement (anger redirected from the actual problem to the messengers) and rationalization (reframing a personnel scandal as a national security leak problem).

The North Korea reference serves dual purposes: it elevates Trump's self-image as dealing with serious geopolitical matters, and it implies that leakers are endangering national security — casting critics as the real threat.

Rhetorical Strategy

The phrase "the real story here" is an explicit reframing device — telling the audience what to focus on. This is a consistent Trump pattern: when negative information emerges, attack the source rather than the content.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Many illegal leaks coming out of Washington"	Half True	Leaks about Flynn's calls with Kislyak were real and potentially violated laws regarding classified intercepts. However, characterizing all leaks as 'illegal' is an overstatement — some disclosures may have been lawful whistleblowing.

Overall Veracity: 50%