Post from X (Twitter)

Analysis: "Keep up the GREAT work" ISIS Post (2017-10-20)

A brief, formulaic post quoting an Army colonel on ISIS losing ground, timed with the liberation of Raqqa. This is a classic credit-claiming/supply-seeking post — Trump positions himself as commander-in-chief presiding over military success.

Authorship

Posted at 9:43 PM ET (Trump was president, likely in Washington). The post has a polished, formatted quality — proper attribution, quotation marks, acronym usage (CJTF-OIR) — suggesting aide involvement. However, "Keep up the GREAT work. I am with you 100%!" has authentic Trump energy (caps on GREAT, exclamation marks, simple declarative enthusiasm).

Psychological Context

This post is notable for what it ISN'T — the previous day's posts were consumed by the Clinton/Russia/dossier narrative and the Gold Star widow controversy. This ISIS post serves as a palette cleanser, pivoting to unambiguously positive territory. It functions as a brief narcissistic supply moment amid a week of narcissistic injury (the Wilson/Gold Star controversy).

Rhetorical Function

By quoting military authority and using "I am with you 100%," Trump simultaneously claims credit for ISIS defeats and positions himself as supporter of troops — directly relevant given the Gold Star call controversy dominating news cycles.

Fact Verification

Overall Veracity: 100%