# Post x_877932956458795008

- Post ID: `x_877932956458795008`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-06-22T16:55:02.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_877932956458795008
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_877932956458795008/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_877932956458795008.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> ...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

## Engagement

- Likes: 55,734
- Reposts: 13,147
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.389Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-11T15:12:56.564Z (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 is the resolution of a six-week episode that began with Trump's May 12 threat implying he had recordings of his conversations with fired FBI Director Comey. Under congressional pressure to produce any tapes, Trump admits none exist — effectively conceding that the original tweet was a bluff designed to intimidate a potential witness. The admission is psychologically significant as a forced narcissistic retreat: the original threat was a dominance display (classic antisocial intimidation), and this retraction represents exposure of the bluff. The defensive strategy is notable — embedding the concession within a grievance narrative about surveillance and leaking (displacement, rationalization), using scare quotes to retroactively minimize the original threat's intent (gaslighting), and burying the admission in part two of a two-part tweet (minimization). The legalistic, polished language strongly suggests legal counsel or aide drafting, consistent with damage control for a legally sensitive admission. This episode is directly relevant to the Mueller obstruction investigation, as the original tapes threat was examined as potential witness intimidation. The calm, measured tone contrasts sharply with the same day's emotionally charged tweets about the Russia investigation being a "HOAX" and attacks on Democrats — suggesting different authors for different posts on the same day.

## Analysis: The Comey Tapes Admission (June 22, 2017)

This is the second part of a two-part tweet (beginning with "With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance...") in which Trump finally admits he has no recordings of his conversations with James Comey. This is significant because on May 12, 2017, Trump had tweeted: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" — a veiled threat that implied recordings existed.

### Context and Significance

The original "tapes" tweet functioned as witness intimidation — a threat designed to constrain Comey's testimony. Six weeks later, with Congressional pressure mounting for production of any recordings, Trump admits none exist. The admission is buried within a framing about "electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking" — a classic deflection maneuver that recontextualizes the admission within a counter-narrative of victimhood.

### Rhetorical Structure

The careful, legalistic phrasing ("I did not make, and do not have") is notably different from Trump's typical impulsive style. The scare quotes around "tapes" maintain plausible deniability about the original threat's intent. The two-part structure allows the first tweet to establish a persecution frame before delivering the concession in the second.

### Psychological Dynamics

This represents a forced retreat — Trump was compelled by congressional deadlines to clarify. The embedding of the admission within grievance framing (surveillance, leaking) represents a face-saving operation protecting narcissistic equilibrium during an obligatory concession. The original threat was likely an impulsive act; this retraction is a calculated, aide-assisted cleanup.

### Authorship

Posted at 12:55 PM EDT (Trump in Washington as President), business hours, with polished legal language — strongly suggests aide involvement or heavy legal review.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "He did not make and does not have recordings of conversations with James Comey" | **Unverifiable** | No recordings were ever produced. The White House confirmed no recordings existed. However, the original May 12 tweet strongly implied their existence as a threat. |
| "Recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information" | **Half True** | There were legitimate news stories about unmasking of US persons in intelligence reports (Susan Rice controversy). However, characterizing all of this as directed at Trump personally and as 'illegal' is an overstatement mixing legitimate intelligence activities with politically convenient framing. |

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Authorship Analysis

**Aide-Written** (score: 20%)

### Indicators

- Business hours posting (12:55 PM EDT)
- Legalistic phrasing: 'I did not make, and do not have'
- Careful, precise language atypical of authentic Trump
- Two-part structure suggests pre-drafted content
- Absence of typos, ALL CAPS, or emotional reactivity

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Vulnerable State**

**Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Congressional pressure to produce tapes; forced admission of bluff)

Sentiment: -0.20

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 50%
- Antisocial: 60%
- Paranoid: 40%
- Sadism: 10%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- rationalization (neurotic)
- displacement (neurotic)
- denial (pathological)

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

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- victimhood framing to elicit sympathy during forced concession

## Danger Assessment

**NONE**

### Gaslighting

- Scare quotes around 'tapes' retroactively reframe original threat as mere speculation
- Embedding admission within surveillance grievance implies the real issue is others' behavior, not his bluff

## Fact Checks (2)

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

> He did not make and does not have recordings of conversations with James Comey

**UNVERIFIABLE**

No recordings were ever produced. The White House confirmed no recordings existed. However, the original May 12 tweet strongly implied their existence as a threat.

Sources: White House confirmation June 2017; Congressional inquiries

> Recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information

**HALF TRUE**

There were legitimate news stories about unmasking of US persons in intelligence reports (Susan Rice controversy). However, characterizing all of this as directed at Trump personally and as 'illegal' is an overstatement mixing legitimate intelligence activities with politically convenient framing.

Sources: Congressional testimony on unmasking procedures

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Tags

- comey-tapes-resolution (100%)
- forced-concession (90%)
- aide-drafted (80%)
- obstruction-relevant (80%)
- gaslighting (60%)
- witness-intimidation-aftermath (70%)

## That day

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

**Forced Tapes Concession Buried Under Firehose of Russia Investigation Deflection**

Trump spent the day ricocheting between post-rally warmth from an Iowa event and an aggressive multi-post defense against the Russia investigation, triggered by Jeh Johnson's congressional testimony. The biggest moment came midday when he finally admitted he had no recordings of his conversations with James Comey -- quietly walking back a weeks-old threat that had been widely seen as witness intimidation. He buried that retreat inside a grievance thread about surveillance and leaking, then pivoted to a string of confident policy posts about immigration, healthcare, and a well-wish for the recovering Steve Scalise.

Full digest for 2017-06-22: https://trump.fm/date/2017-06-22/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, June 22). ...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_877932956458795008
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my..." X (Twitter), 22 Jun. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_877932956458795008. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "...whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my...," X (Twitter), June 22, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_877932956458795008.

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