# Post x_920604520572424193

- Post ID: `x_920604520572424193`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-10-18T10:56:36.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_920604520572424193.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> As it has turned out, James Comey lied and leaked and totally protected Hillary Clinton. He was the best thing that ever happened to her!

## Engagement

- Likes: 94,520
- Reposts: 25,384
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-01-31T23:43:13.385Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-12T00:26:09.558Z (UTC): a model's reading of this post, not his words. Its psychological terms describe the language, not a clinical assessment of him._

## Psychological Analysis: October 18, 2017 — Comey/Clinton Attack

### Context
This post is the third in a rapid-fire series attacking James Comey over reports that he drafted Clinton's exoneration letter before completing the FBI investigation. The post follows two earlier tweets on the same topic ("Wow, FBI confirms report..." and "...obviously a fix?"), indicating sustained engagement with a narcissistic injury trigger.

### Authorship
Posted at 10:56 UTC = 6:56 AM ET. Trump was likely in Washington, D.C. during this period (Heritage Foundation event referenced in earlier posts). Early morning timing plus the emotional, reactive tone and stream-of-consciousness quality strongly suggest authentic Trump authorship.

### Psychological Dynamics
The post reveals a characteristic pattern: reframing a perceived enemy (Comey) as simultaneously incompetent and corrupt, while maintaining the narrative that Clinton was unfairly protected. The phrase "best thing that ever happened to her" is classic Trumpian hyperbole deployed as a weapon — it serves to devalue Comey by reducing him to Clinton's tool.

The underlying logic is splitting: Comey is all-bad, Clinton is all-bad, and by implication Trump is the victim of their collusion. "Lied and leaked and totally protected" is a tricolon of accusation — rhythmic, memorable, prosecutorial in tone.

### Rhetorical Structure
The tricolon ("lied and leaked and totally protected") is an effective rhetorical device. "As it has turned out" frames contested allegations as settled fact — a reality-assertion technique. The final exclamation mark adds contemptuous irony.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "James Comey drafted letter exonerating Clinton before investigation was complete" | **Mostly True** | Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed Comey began drafting the statement before interviewing key witnesses including Clinton. However, drafting preliminary conclusions during an investigation is not unusual FBI practice, and the draft was revised multiple times. |
| "Comey lied under oath about this" | **Mostly False** | Comey testified he made up his mind after the investigation concluded. Beginning a draft is not the same as having reached a final conclusion; the characterization of perjury is Trump's interpretation. |

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Authorship Analysis

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

### Indicators

- Early morning timing (6:56 AM ET)
- Emotional reactivity and contemptuous tone
- Hyperbolic phrasing ('best thing that ever happened')
- Continuation of multi-tweet thread on same topic
- Exclamation mark for emphasis

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (FBI/Comey reports confirming pre-drafted exoneration)

**Rage:** Intensity 50% targeting James Comey / Hillary Clinton
- Proportionality: 50%

Sentiment: -0.60

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 50%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 40%
- Sadism: 30%

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

**Cognitive Complexity:**
- Complexity: 40%

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Positioning audience as co-discoverers of Comey's corruption
- Ironic humor to build shared contempt

## Danger Assessment

**NONE**

### Gaslighting

- 'As it has turned out' presents disputed allegations as established truth

## Fact Checks (2)

_The model's verdicts from 2026-03-12._

> James Comey drafted letter exonerating Clinton before investigation was complete

**MOSTLY TRUE**

Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed Comey began drafting the statement before interviewing key witnesses including Clinton. However, drafting preliminary conclusions during an investigation is not unusual FBI practice, and the draft was revised multiple times.

Sources: Senate Judiciary Committee transcripts; FBI records

> Comey lied under oath about this

**MOSTLY FALSE**

Comey testified he made up his mind after the investigation concluded. Beginning a draft is not the same as having reached a final conclusion; the characterization of perjury is Trump's interpretation.

Sources: Comey Senate testimony June 2017

Overall Veracity: 50%

## Tags

- Comey (80%)
- Clinton (60%)
- vindication-seeking (70%)
- FBI-investigation (60%)

## That day

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

**Gold Star Widow Controversy Punctuates an Otherwise Scripted Policy Day**

Trump spent most of the day pushing tax reform through staff-crafted posts and celebrating the Dow hitting 23,000 for the first time. The standout moment came in an early-morning burst where he personally attacked Rep. Frederica Wilson over the Gold Star widow phone call, claiming she "totally fabricated" his remarks and asserting he had proof — which never materialized. He also fired off a cluster of attacks on James Comey and the FBI, accusing them of protecting Hillary Clinton. By afternoon, the tone shifted back to routine presidential messaging about wildfires, bipartisan meetings, and the Iran deal.

Full digest for 2017-10-18: https://trump.fm/date/2017-10-18/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, October 18). As it has turned out, James Comey lied and leaked... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "As it has turned out, James Comey lied and leaked and..." X (Twitter), 18 Oct. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "As it has turned out, James Comey lied and leaked and...," X (Twitter), October 18, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193.

## For agents

- Site overview: https://trump.fm/llms.txt
- API specification: https://trump.fm/openapi.json
- MCP server: https://trump.fm/mcp (search and fetch tools, no auth)
- This post as JSON: https://trump.fm/api/posts/x_920604520572424193
- Analysis as JSON: https://trump.fm/api/analysis/x_920604520572424193
- All citation formats: https://trump.fm/api/cite/x_920604520572424193
- Same day: https://trump.fm/date/2017-10-18
- The record alone, without the analysis: https://trump.fm/post/x_920604520572424193.md?analysis=false

_Markdown view of a trump.fm page. Post, analysis, date, feed, contradictions, search and about pages answer in markdown at their URL with `.md` appended (`/index.md` for the home page), or when sent `Accept: text/markdown`._