# Post x_868810404335673344

- Post ID: `x_868810404335673344`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-05-28T12:45:16.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_868810404335673344
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_868810404335673344/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_868810404335673344.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> ....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!

## Engagement

- Likes: 60,156
- Reposts: 13,302
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.390Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-11T13:05:17.717Z (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 concludes a multi-tweet thread attacking anonymous media sourcing, triggered by Washington Post reporting on Kushner's Russia back channel discussions. The escalation from questioning sources to declaring "#FakeNews is the enemy" follows a predictable defensive pattern: when damaging information emerges, delegitimize the information ecosystem itself. The "enemy" designation for free press is the most clinically and democratically significant element. It reflects pathological denial (sources don't exist), projection (accusing others of fabrication), and splitting (media as all-bad enemy). The paranoid features are elevated — perceiving coordinated media conspiracy rather than independent journalism. The thread was posted the morning after returning from a major international trip, during peak Kushner-Russia coverage, consistent with reactive posting upon encountering unfavorable news. The gaslighting dimension is notable: inviting followers to disbelieve standard journalistic practice (anonymous sourcing) and substitute Trump's reality. This contributes to epistemic closure dynamics where followers are trained to reject external information sources. Danger level is elevated not for immediate violence risk but for the cumulative effect of "enemy of the people" rhetoric directed at journalists — language with well-documented historical precedent in authoritarian contexts.

# Psychological Analysis: May 28, 2017 Tweet Thread (Conclusion)

## Context
This is the concluding tweet of a multi-part thread posted the morning after Trump's return from his first international trip. The Kushner-Russia back channel story was dominating coverage, effectively overshadowing what Trump considered a successful trip.

## Authorship: Likely Authentic (0.85)
12:45 UTC = 8:45am ET. The original version contained the misspelling "exsist," later corrected in this repost. Thread format, emotional escalation, and hashtag usage are consistent with authentic Trump posting.

## Psychological State
The thread follows a clear defensive escalation: (1) leaks are fabricated, (2) unnamed sources are suspicious, (3) sources don't exist, (4) media is "the enemy." This is a textbook response to narcissistic injury via exposure — the Kushner reporting threatened the administration's narrative and Trump's sense of control.

## Defense Mechanisms
- **Denial** (pathological): Blanket assertion that sources don't exist
- **Projection** (immature): Accusing media of fabrication
- **Splitting** (immature): Media = enemy, no middle ground

## Rhetorical Significance
The phrase "#FakeNews is the enemy" compresses a complex authoritarian rhetorical move into five words. It designates the institutional press as a hostile force rather than a democratic institution, training followers to reject external information sources.

## Danger Assessment: Elevated
"Enemy" designation for press has well-documented historical precedent in pre-authoritarian contexts. The cumulative effect of this rhetoric on follower behavior toward journalists warrants monitoring.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "Sources cited by media don't exist and are made up" | **Mostly False** | Anonymous sourcing is standard journalism practice. The contemporaneous reporting (e.g., Kushner back channel story) was corroborated by multiple outlets and later confirmed. |

Overall Veracity: 20%

## Authorship Analysis

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

### Indicators

- Early morning local time (~8:45am ET)
- Continuation thread style
- Typo in prior version ('exsist')
- Emotional/reactive tone
- #FakeNews hashtag usage

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Media leaks about Kushner-Russia back channel)

**Rage:** Intensity 60% targeting News media and anonymous sources
- Proportionality: 30%

Sentiment: -0.70

**Mildly Hypomanic**
- Rapid-fire multi-tweet thread
- Just returned from major international trip

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 50%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 60%
- Sadism: 10%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- denial (pathological)
- projection (immature)
- splitting (immature)

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

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Direct address to followers as co-investigators
- Inviting audience to share suspicion of media

## Danger Assessment

**ELEVATED**

### Indicators

- Designating free press as 'the enemy'
- Systematic delegitimization of accountability journalism

### Gaslighting

- Claims anonymous sources don't exist
- Frames factual reporting as fabrication
- Attacks epistemic foundations of journalism

## Fact Checks (1)

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

> Sources cited by media don't exist and are made up

**MOSTLY FALSE**

Anonymous sourcing is standard journalism practice. The contemporaneous reporting (e.g., Kushner back channel story) was corroborated by multiple outlets and later confirmed.

Sources: Washington Post reporting on Kushner-Russia; Standard journalistic practice guidelines

Overall Veracity: 20%

## Tags

- media-attack (100%)
- enemy-of-people (90%)
- russia-investigation (80%)
- epistemic-warfare (85%)

## That day

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

**Victory Lap Derailed: Europe Trip Triumphalism Collapses Into Anti-Press Siege Over Kushner-Russia Coverage**

Trump returned from his first major international trip and spent the morning celebrating NATO and G7 wins, along with the Montana special election result. The mood shifted sharply when he launched a sustained attack on the media, calling anonymous sources fictional and declaring the press "the enemy" -- a reaction to the Washington Post's reporting on Jared Kushner's back-channel discussions with Russia. The rest of the day was quieter, punctuated by repeated Montana election posts and an oddly self-undermining tweet about PM May's anger over intelligence leaks, before closing with a healthcare pitch in the evening.

Full digest for 2017-05-28: https://trump.fm/date/2017-05-28/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, May 28). ....it is very possible that those sources don't... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_868810404335673344
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but..." X (Twitter), 28 May. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_868810404335673344. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "....it is very possible that those sources don't exist but...," X (Twitter), May 28, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_868810404335673344.

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