Analysis: I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service. He came to the...

9y ago Aug 19, 2017 at 11:33 AM

I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service. He came to the campaign during my run against Crooked Hillary Clinton - it was great! Thanks S

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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

Grandiose

Authorship

Uncertain

Intensity

25%

This post announcing Steve Bannon's departure exemplifies the narcissistic discard pattern. Bannon — who served as White House Chief Strategist and was one of Trump's most influential advisors — is reduced to a campaign volunteer who showed up during the Hillary Clinton race. The structure is psychologically revealing: (1) perfunctory thanks for "service," (2) temporal limitation to campaign only, (3) immediate redirect to Trump's own greatness ("it was great!"), and (4) dismissive truncation ("Thanks S"). The omission of Bannon's White House role is striking — it erases months of partnership and signals complete devaluation. This follows the Charlottesville crisis where Bannon's nationalist ideology became politically toxic. The narcissistic calculus is transparent: allies are valued instrumentally and discarded when they become liabilities, with the narrative rewritten to minimize their importance. The diplomatic restraint suggests aide involvement in drafting, as authentic Trump typically cannot resist attacking departing figures. The post's controlled tone may itself be strategic — maintaining optionality with Bannon's media network (Breitbart) while establishing distance.

Authorship Analysis

Uncertain

Indicators:

Polished diplomatic tone
Truncated at 140-char limit suggests careful composition
7:33 AM ET - early but not extreme
Contains 'Crooked Hillary' - a Trump signature
Lacks emotional reactivity or ALL CAPS

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Preemptive Attack — Exposure (Bannon becoming liability after Charlottesville)

Sentiment

+0.30

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

60%

Antisocial

30%

Paranoid

10%

Sadism

30%

Defense Mechanisms:

devaluationrationalizationdistortion

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

30%

Parasocial Techniques:

sharing insider personnel decisions directly with followersinviting audience to share in the 'greatness' of the campaign

Fact Checks (1)

"Bannon came to the campaign during the run against Hillary Clinton"

Mostly True

Bannon joined as campaign CEO in August 2016, which was during the general election against Clinton. However, framing omits his subsequent role as White House Chief Strategist.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Analysis: Bannon Departure Post (2017-08-19)

This post announces Steve Bannon's departure from the White House, framed as a thank-you. Context: Bannon was fired/resigned on August 18, 2017, amid the Charlottesville fallout. The post is notably restrained and formulaic for Trump.

Authorship

Posted at 7:33 AM ET from Bedminster, NJ. Early morning but not extreme. The post is suspiciously polished and truncated at 140 characters (old Twitter limit), ending mid-word "Thanks S" — likely cut off, suggesting it was composed to fit the character limit. The diplomatic tone, lack of caps or emotional outbursts, and professional framing strongly suggest aide involvement, though the truncation and the nickname "Crooked Hillary" are Trump markers. Likely a hybrid — aide-drafted with Trump's input or approval.

Psychological Analysis

The post is a masterclass in devaluation through faint praise. Bannon is thanked only for "service" during the campaign — not the presidency. The framing "He came to the campaign" minimizes Bannon's role as White House Chief Strategist. The pivot to "my run against Crooked Hillary Clinton — it was great!" redirects credit to Trump himself. The truncated "Thanks S" feels dismissive, almost contemptuous in its brevity.

This follows the classic narcissistic pattern of discarding — once a figure is no longer useful or becomes a liability (Bannon was seen as a source of the Charlottesville debacle), they are diminished and expelled while the narcissist claims all credit.

Defense Mechanisms

Rationalization: Framing a firing as gratitude
Devaluation: Reducing Bannon's role to campaign aide
Distortion: Implying an amicable, voluntary departure

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Bannon came to the campaign during the run against Hillary Clinton"	Mostly True	Bannon joined as campaign CEO in August 2016, which was during the general election against Clinton. However, framing omits his subsequent role as White House Chief Strategist.

Overall Veracity: 80%