# Post x_861592420043157504

- Post ID: `x_861592420043157504`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-05-08T14:43:35.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_861592420043157504
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_861592420043157504/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_861592420043157504.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.

## Engagement

- Likes: 60,380
- Reposts: 16,658
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.390Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-11T12:36:27.225Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._

## Summary

This post, a corrected repost of an earlier misspelled version, demonstrates a characteristic deflection pattern in response to narcissistic injury from exposure. Sally Yates's testimony that she warned the White House about Flynn being compromised by Russia threatened Trump's narrative. Rather than address the substance, Trump employs projection (accusing Yates of leaking), displacement (redirecting to leaks rather than Flynn's conduct), and prosecutorial framing ("under oath") to recast Yates as the wrongdoer. The gaslighting dimension is notable: the post attempts to shift public perception from "the White House ignored warnings about a compromised National Security Advisor" to "Sally Yates leaked classified information." The corrected spelling from "Council" to "Counsel" provides a rare window into the editing process—either self-correction or aide intervention. Psychologically, this reflects the paranoid features of the personality profile, where adversaries are presumed to conspire and whistleblowers are reframed as saboteurs. The pattern of attacking investigators and witnesses rather than addressing allegations is consistent across the longitudinal record.

## Analysis: Post x_861592420043157504 (2017-05-08)

### Context
This post was published the same day Sally Yates testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee about warning the White House that Michael Flynn was compromised. Trump is attempting to reframe the narrative away from Flynn's vulnerability to Russian blackmail and toward the question of classified leaks—a classic deflection.

Note: A nearly identical post was made earlier with "Council" (misspelling) which was corrected to "Counsel" in this version—indicating Trump noticed the error or an aide corrected it.

### Authorship
Posted at 14:43 UTC = 10:43 AM ET. Trump was likely in Washington, D.C. This is business hours, and the corrected spelling of "Counsel" (from the earlier "Council" version) suggests possible aide involvement in the correction. However, the rhetorical style—accusatory, deflective, directed at a specific adversary—is characteristically Trump. The original "Council" misspelling in the earlier version is a strong authentic indicator. This corrected repost could be aide-assisted cleanup of an authentic post.

### Psychological Analysis
The post is a textbook example of **deflection through counterattack**. Rather than addressing Yates's testimony about Flynn being compromised, Trump redirects to the question of who leaked classified information. This serves multiple functions:
1. Reframes Yates from whistleblower to suspect
2. Implies she is the source of leaks (projection)
3. Positions the White House as victim of unauthorized disclosure rather than as having ignored warnings about a compromised National Security Advisor

The phrase "under oath" is an implicit threat—suggesting Yates could face perjury if she doesn't answer satisfactorily, while also signaling to his base that he believes she is lying.

### Defense Mechanisms
- **Projection**: Accusing Yates of impropriety when the underlying issue is the White House's failure to act on her warnings about Flynn
- **Displacement**: Redirecting anger about damaging testimony toward the leak itself
- **Rationalization**: Framing the leak as the real crime rather than Flynn's conduct

### Rhetorical Techniques
The rhetorical question format ("Ask Sally Yates...") is a prosecutorial technique that implies guilt without directly stating it. It invites the audience to become investigators focused on his preferred narrative.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "Classified information got into the newspapers soon after Yates explained it to White House Counsel" | **Half True** | Yates warned WH Counsel Don McGahn about Flynn on Jan 26-27, 2017. The Washington Post published details of Flynn's calls with Russian Ambassador Kislyak on Feb 9, 2017—about two weeks later. The timeline is roughly accurate but the implication that Yates was the source is unsubstantiated. |

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Authorship Analysis

**Uncertain** (score: 60%)

### Indicators

- Earlier version had 'Council' misspelling (authentic indicator)
- Corrected to 'Counsel' suggests aide cleanup
- Business hours posting (10:43 AM ET)
- Accusatory rhetorical style is characteristic Trump
- Reactive to same-day testimony—emotionally driven

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Sally Yates testimony revealing White House was warned about Flynn)

**Rage:** Intensity 50% targeting Sally Yates
- Proportionality: 40%

Sentiment: -0.50

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 40%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 50%
- Sadism: 20%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- projection (immature)
- displacement (neurotic)
- rationalization (neurotic)

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 60%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Inviting audience to join prosecutorial stance against Yates
- Framing shared enemies

## Danger Assessment

**NONE**

### Gaslighting

- Reframes Yates from whistleblower to suspect
- Redirects narrative from 'WH ignored warnings' to 'who leaked?'

## Fact Checks (1)

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

> Classified information got into the newspapers soon after Yates explained it to White House Counsel

**HALF TRUE**

Yates warned WH Counsel Don McGahn about Flynn on Jan 26-27, 2017. The Washington Post published details of Flynn's calls with Russian Ambassador Kislyak on Feb 9, 2017—about two weeks later. The timeline is roughly accurate but the implication that Yates was the source is unsubstantiated.

Sources: Sally Yates Senate testimony May 8 2017; Washington Post reporting Feb 2017

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Tags

- deflection (90%)
- Flynn-Russia (80%)
- Sally Yates (100%)
- leaks (70%)
- projection (80%)

## That day

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

**Day-Long Defensive Campaign Against Yates Testimony Sets Stage for Comey Firing**

Trump spent most of the day in damage-control mode after former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified that she warned the White House about Michael Flynn being compromised by Russia. The morning started with a light golf congratulations, but quickly shifted to a sustained effort to reframe the Yates testimony as a leak scandal rather than a Flynn scandal. By evening, a rapid burst of four posts in under ten minutes revealed growing frustration, with the final tweets showing cracks in the confident facade. Notably, this rhetoric served as groundwork for the firing of FBI Director James Comey the very next day.

Full digest for 2017-05-08: https://trump.fm/date/2017-05-08/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, May 8). Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_861592420043157504
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified..." X (Twitter), 8 May. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_861592420043157504. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified...," X (Twitter), May 8, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_861592420043157504.

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