# Post x_912278438127525888

- Post ID: `x_912278438127525888`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-09-25T11:31:43.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_912278438127525888
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_912278438127525888/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_912278438127525888.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which was a small percentage of total). These are fans who demand respect for our Flag!

## Engagement

- Likes: 137,858
- Reposts: 24,597
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.386Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-11T23:18:51.221Z (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 continues Trump's multi-day escalation of the NFL anthem controversy he initiated with profane remarks at an Alabama rally. The psychological pattern is supply-seeking through manufactured culture war: Trump created the conflict, triggered unprecedented mass protests (200+ players on Sept 24), and now harvests narcissistic supply by positioning himself as champion of patriotic fans against a "small percentage" of disrespectful players. The rhetorical structure employs social proof, minimization, and patriotic false framing to transform a racial justice protest into a loyalty test. Splitting is the dominant defense — fans who boo are patriots; kneeling players are disrespectful. Notable is the sustained attention to this self-created controversy while Puerto Rico faces catastrophic humanitarian crisis following Hurricane Maria five days earlier, reflecting characteristic prioritization of narcissistic engagement over governance. The gaslighting dimension is significant: reframing Colin Kaepernick's explicit protest against police brutality as "disrespecting the flag" constitutes deliberate meaning-substitution that has proven remarkably effective at shifting public discourse.

## Psychological Analysis: NFL Anthem Protest — Framing the Crowd

### Context
This post is part of a sustained multi-day campaign against NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. Trump had ignited the controversy at an Alabama rally on September 22, and this post comes after a massive wave of player protests on September 24. Notably, Puerto Rico is in crisis, but Trump's attention remains fixed on the culture war.

### Authorship
Posted at 7:31 AM ET (Trump was based in the NYC/NJ area). This is consistent with his early-morning posting pattern. The syntax is slightly more polished than peak-authentic Trump but retains his parenthetical asides and exclamation mark. Likely authentic, composed during morning media consumption.

### Psychological Dynamics
This post performs a classic **social proof / bandwagon** maneuver: claiming "many people booed" to frame public opinion as aligned with his position. The parenthetical "(which was a small percentage of total)" minimizes the opposition while the final sentence elevates booers as patriots who "demand respect."

The post continues the narcissistic supply loop from this controversy — Trump created the conflict, triggered mass protests, and now harvests engagement by positioning himself as champion of patriotic fans against disrespectful players.

### Rhetorical Structure
The three-part structure is effective propaganda: (1) assert crowd behavior supporting his position, (2) minimize the opposition, (3) moralize the supporters' stance. "Demand respect for our Flag" transforms a labor/racial justice protest into a patriotism loyalty test.

### Defense Mechanisms
Splitting remains prominent: fans who boo = good patriots; kneeling players = disrespectful minority. The projection continues from prior posts — framing protesters as disrespectful while Trump himself used profanity ("sons of bitches") to describe them days earlier.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "Many people booed the players who kneeled" | **Mostly True** | Some booing was reported at various NFL games, though crowd reactions were mixed with both boos and cheers for kneeling players |
| "Kneeling players were a small percentage of total" | **Mostly True** | Over 200 players protested out of roughly 1,700 active roster players (~12%), though this was an unprecedented surge and included entire teams staying in locker rooms |

Overall Veracity: 80%

## Authorship Analysis

**Uncertain** (score: 70%)

### Indicators

- Early morning posting (7:31 AM ET)
- Parenthetical aside is characteristic Trump style
- Exclamation mark ending
- Slightly more structured than peak-authentic posts

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Supply Seeking (NFL anthem controversy (self-created))

Sentiment: +0.30

**Mildly Hypomanic**
- Sustained high-volume posting on single topic across multiple days

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 60%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 20%
- Sadism: 20%

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

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 50%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Social proof ('many people booed')
- In-group flattery ('fans who demand respect')
- Shared ownership ('our Flag')

## Danger Assessment

**NONE**

### Gaslighting

- Reframing racial justice protests as anti-flag/anti-military disrespect
- Implying kneeling players are a tiny fringe rather than a widespread movement of 200+ players

## Fact Checks (2)

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

> Many people booed the players who kneeled

**MOSTLY TRUE**

Some booing was reported at various NFL games, though crowd reactions were mixed with both boos and cheers for kneeling players

> Kneeling players were a small percentage of total

**MOSTLY TRUE**

Over 200 players protested out of roughly 1,700 active roster players (~12%), though this was an unprecedented surge and included entire teams staying in locker rooms

Overall Veracity: 80%

## Tags

- NFL anthem protests (100%)
- culture war (90%)
- patriotism framing (80%)
- social proof (70%)
- supply seeking (80%)

## That day

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

**NFL Culture War Consumes the Day as Puerto Rico Drowns in Silence**

Trump spent nearly the entire day litigating the NFL anthem controversy he started three days earlier at an Alabama rally. Seven of his eleven posts focused on players kneeling during the national anthem, cycling through praise for fans who booed, denial that the protests had anything to do with race, and a sharp evening attack on CNN for reporting that his own chief of staff disagreed with his approach. Healthcare, immigration, and tax reform each got a single mention, while the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Puerto Rico went completely unaddressed. The mood was assertive and combative throughout, peaking in the evening with a rapid-fire three-post burst defending his position.

Full digest for 2017-09-25: https://trump.fm/date/2017-09-25/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, September 25). Many people booed the players who kneeled... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_912278438127525888
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which..." X (Twitter), 25 Sep. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_912278438127525888. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which...," X (Twitter), September 25, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_912278438127525888.

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