# Post x_936688444046266400

- Post ID: `x_936688444046266400`
- Platform: X (Twitter)
- Posted: 2017-12-02T01:08:22.000Z (UTC)
- Deleted: no
- Repost: no
- Canonical URL: https://trump.fm/post/x_936688444046266400
- Analysis page: https://trump.fm/post/x_936688444046266400/analysis
- Audio narration: https://static.trump.fm/audio/x_936688444046266400.mp3 (a synthesized voice reading the post text, not a recording)

## Post text

> The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon - FAKE NEWS! He’s not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects, (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!https://t.co/FrqiPLFJ1E

## Engagement

- Likes: 0
- Reposts: 20,431
- Replies: 0
- Views: unknown
- Metrics collected: 2026-02-01T01:33:25.010Z (UTC)

# Analysis

_Machine-generated by trump.fm on 2026-03-12T02:21:46.224Z (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 exemplifies narcissistic relational dynamics in a leadership context. While ostensibly defending Tillerson and denying media reports, Trump cannot resist the parenthetical "(I call the final shots)"—a compulsive dominance assertion that publicly subordinates the person he claims to support. This pattern of "defending" someone while humiliating them is characteristic of narcissistic leadership where all relationships must reinforce hierarchy. The timing—one day after Michael Flynn's guilty plea in the Mueller investigation—suggests displacement: addressing a manageable narrative (Tillerson rumors) rather than the far more threatening one (a cooperating witness in the Russia probe). The FAKE NEWS label applied to reporting that proved accurate within months demonstrates the reality-distortion function of this phrase. Tillerson was fired via tweet on March 13, 2018. The closing grandiose claim about American respect contradicted contemporaneous international polling showing sharp declines in global confidence in US leadership.

## Analysis: Rex Tillerson "FAKE NEWS" Defense (Dec 2, 2017)

Posted at 8:08 PM ET (Trump likely at White House by this date, post-Thanksgiving). The post addresses media reports about Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's potential departure.

### Key Observations

The parenthetical "(I call the final shots)" is the most psychologically revealing element. In a post ostensibly defending Tillerson and denying friction, Trump cannot resist asserting dominance. This undermines the stated purpose—if the relationship were truly harmonious, the power clarification would be unnecessary.

**Ironic foreshadowing:** Tillerson was indeed fired via tweet on March 13, 2018—roughly 3.5 months later. The "FAKE NEWS" label applied to accurate reporting is characteristic.

The post follows a predictable structure: deny → assert control → claim success. The closing "America is highly respected again!" pivots from interpersonal dynamics to grandiose national framing, a characteristic deflection.

### Longitudinal Note
This is a duplicate of a post from the same day (appears in both current post and previous posts list), suggesting either a repost or data duplication. The content is identical to the Dec 1 entry.

### Context
Flynn's guilty plea occurred Dec 1—this Tillerson post may serve as distraction from that far more damaging news story. The timing is notable: rather than addressing Flynn, Trump shifts attention to a manageable narrative about cabinet stability.

## Fact Verification

| Claim | Verdict | Evidence |
|-------|---------|----------|
| "America is highly respected again" | **Mostly False** | Pew Research Center polling from 2017 showed sharp declines in international confidence in US leadership across nearly all surveyed nations compared to the Obama era. |
| "He's not leaving" | **Mostly False** | Rex Tillerson was fired via tweet on March 13, 2018, approximately 3.5 months after this post. Reports of friction were accurate. |

Overall Veracity: 20%

## Authorship Analysis

**Uncertain** (score: 65%)

### Indicators

- Evening posting time (8:08 PM ET)
- Parenthetical aside feels spontaneous
- ALL CAPS for FAKE NEWS
- Slightly rambling structure with multiple clauses
- But relatively polished grammar and complete sentences

## Psychological Profile

### State

**Grandiose State**

**Trigger:** Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Media reports of internal discord, Flynn plea as background stressor)

Sentiment: +0.20

### Clinical

**Malignant Narcissism:**
- Narcissistic: 70%
- Antisocial: 30%
- Paranoid: 30%
- Sadism: 20%

**Defense Mechanisms:**
- denial (pathological)
- projection (immature)
- displacement (neurotic)

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

**Parasocial Techniques:**
- Direct address to audience
- Insider framing ('I call the final shots')

## Danger Assessment

**NONE**

### Gaslighting

- Labeling accurate media reporting as FAKE NEWS
- Asserting harmonious relationship that was demonstrably strained

## Fact Checks (2)

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

> America is highly respected again

**MOSTLY FALSE**

Pew Research Center polling from 2017 showed sharp declines in international confidence in US leadership across nearly all surveyed nations compared to the Obama era.

Sources: Pew Global Attitudes Survey 2017

> He's not leaving

**MOSTLY FALSE**

Rex Tillerson was fired via tweet on March 13, 2018, approximately 3.5 months after this post. Reports of friction were accurate.

Sources: Historical record

Overall Veracity: 20%

## Tags

- denial (80%)
- displacement (60%)
- power_assertion (90%)
- fake_news_labeling (70%)
- tillerson (80%)

## That day

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

**Tax Bill Victory Lap Interrupted by a Legally Self-Destructive Flynn Admission**

Trump spent the day oscillating between celebrating the Senate's passage of the tax reform bill and managing the fallout from Michael Flynn's guilty plea. Most of the day was a victory lap, with celebratory posts about the tax bill that passed in the early morning hours. The mood shifted sharply at midday when he posted about Flynn, appearing to inadvertently admit he knew Flynn had lied to the FBI — a potentially devastating detail for the obstruction-of-justice question. He also denied reports about Rex Tillerson's departure, calling them "FAKE NEWS," a denial that would prove false within months.

Full digest for 2017-12-02: https://trump.fm/date/2017-12-02/analysis

## Citation

- APA: Trump, D. J. (2017, December 2). The media has been speculating that I fired Rex... [Social media post]. X (Twitter). trump.fm. https://trump.fm/post/x_936688444046266400
- MLA: Trump, Donald J. "The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson..." X (Twitter), 2 Dec. 2017. trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_936688444046266400. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
- Chicago: Donald J. Trump, "The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson...," X (Twitter), December 2, 2017, archived at trump.fm, https://trump.fm/post/x_936688444046266400.

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