Analysis: ...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future ...

9y ago May 12, 2017 at 12:07 PM

...Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???

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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

Elevated

Narcissistic State

Grandiose

Authorship

Self-Written

Intensity

50%

This post, part of a rapid May 12, 2017 tweet sequence, floats canceling White House press briefings two days after the Comey firing created an accountability crisis. The psychological trigger is exposure: Trump's contradictory explanations for firing Comey (first citing the Rosenstein memo, then telling NBC's Lester Holt it was about "this Russia thing") made it impossible for surrogates like Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders to maintain a coherent narrative at the podium. The primary defense mechanism is rationalization—reframing the elimination of press scrutiny as concern "for the sake of accuracy." This inverts the actual dynamic: the accuracy problem originated with Trump's own contradictions, not with the briefing format. The scare quotes around "press briefings" perform institutional delegitimization, suggesting the format itself is somehow illegitimate. The "Maybe...would be" construction and triple question marks create a trial balloon effect—testing an authoritarian proposal while maintaining plausible deniability. This is a characteristic pattern: floating norm-breaking ideas as casual musings to gauge reaction. Clinically, this post illustrates the narcissistic response to exposure: when the system reveals uncomfortable truths, eliminate the system rather than address the underlying contradiction. The post is rated "elevated" on danger assessment not for violence potential but for its targeting of press accountability mechanisms during a period of active investigation into presidential conduct.

Authorship Analysis

Self-Written

Indicators:

Ellipsis opener continuing prior thought
Scare quotes around 'press briefings'
Triple question marks
Stream-of-consciousness rhetorical question
Part of rapid morning tweet sequence

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Press briefings exposing contradictions in Comey firing narrative)

Sentiment

-0.30

Mildly Hypomanic

Rapid sequential postingEscalating proposals across tweet thread

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

60%

Antisocial

50%

Paranoid

40%

Sadism

10%

Defense Mechanisms:

rationalizationprojectiondenial

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

50%

Parasocial Techniques:

Trial balloon framing to test audience receptivityInclusive 'the best thing to do' implying shared interest

Danger Assessment

Elevated

Indicators:

Floating elimination of press briefings during accountability crisis
Pattern of delegitimizing media institutions

Gaslighting Detected:

Framing suppression of scrutiny as concern for accuracy
Inverting who has the accuracy problem

Reality Distortions:

Implies press briefings cause inaccuracy rather than expose it
Implies written responses would be more accurate when the issue is contradictory narratives from Trump himself

Fact Checks (1)

"Surrogates cannot stand at podium with perfect accuracy"

Half True

The accuracy problems stemmed primarily from Trump giving contradictory accounts of the Comey firing (first citing Rosenstein memo, then admitting on NBC it was about Russia), making it impossible for surrogates to be consistent.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Psychological Analysis: Post x_863002719400976384

Context

This post is part of a rapid-fire sequence on May 12, 2017, two days after Trump fired FBI Director Comey. The preceding post ("not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy") sets up this one as a logical continuation—floating the idea of canceling press briefings entirely.

Authorship

Posted at 12:07 UTC = 8:07 AM EDT. Trump was in Washington, DC. The ellipsis opener ("...Maybe"), the rhetorical question format with triple question marks, and scare quotes around "press briefings" are hallmark Trump stylistic markers. This reads as a continuation of a thought thread he's posting in sequence.

Psychological Analysis

This post is a trial balloon for authoritarian information control, framed as a reasonable suggestion about "accuracy." The irony is striking: Trump is ostensibly concerned about accuracy while his administration was in crisis precisely because of inaccurate and contradictory statements about the Comey firing. The real trigger is that press briefings were exposing contradictions in the administration's narrative.

The scare quotes around "press briefings" perform a delegitimizing function—suggesting the institution itself is somehow fraudulent. The stated rationale ("for the sake of accuracy") is a rationalization that inverts the actual dynamic: briefings revealed inaccuracy in Trump's own accounts.

Defense Mechanisms

The primary defense is rationalization—reframing a desire to suppress scrutiny as concern for accuracy. Secondary is projection—attributing the accuracy problem to surrogates/media rather than to his own contradictory statements about Comey.

Rhetorical Techniques

The "Maybe the best thing" framing is a classic trial balloon—testing authoritarian proposals while maintaining plausible deniability ("I was just asking a question"). The triple question marks add performative uncertainty.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Surrogates cannot stand at podium with perfect accuracy"	Half True	The accuracy problems stemmed primarily from Trump giving contradictory accounts of the Comey firing (first citing Rosenstein memo, then admitting on NBC it was about Russia), making it impossible for surrogates to be consistent.

Overall Veracity: 50%