Analysis: People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 po...

8y ago Dec 3, 2017 at 1:15 PM

People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused - many millions of dollars!

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AI Analysis

Machine-generated analysis of the post above on 2026-03-12. Not written by the author of the post.

Danger Level

Elevated

Narcissistic State

Grandiose

Authorship

Self-Written

Intensity

55%

This post escalates Trump's anti-media campaign from rhetorical attacks to implied institutional retaliation, suggesting investors sue ABC News over Brian Ross's erroneous Flynn report. The timing is significant: Flynn had just pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with Mueller, representing a serious threat to Trump. Rather than addressing the substance of Flynn's cooperation, Trump displaces onto Ross's genuine error, converting it into a weapon against press credibility broadly. The lawsuit suggestion functions as intimidation — normalizing the idea that critical reporting is legally actionable harm. The rhetorical sophistication is notable: by anchoring the attack to a real error and real financial losses, Trump gives his delegitimization of media an appearance of reasonableness. This represents a pattern escalation from "fake news" labeling to threats of financial punishment, raising the danger level for press freedom. The post also demonstrates characteristic externalization — the problem is never the underlying conduct being reported on, but always the act of reporting itself.

Authorship Analysis

Self-Written

Indicators:

Early morning posting (8:15 AM ET)
Characteristic rhetorical style with capitalized emphasis words
Direct emotional engagement with topic
Slightly more structured than typical authentic posts — complete sentences, logical argument
No typos or caps outbursts

Psychological Profile

▶ State

Grandiose State

Trigger: Narcissistic Injury — Exposure (Flynn guilty plea and Mueller investigation progress)

Rage: Intensity 60% targeting ABC News / Brian Ross

Proportionality

40%

Sentiment

-0.60

▶ Clinical

Malignant Narcissism:

Narcissistic

50%

Antisocial

40%

Paranoid

30%

Sadism

30%

Defense Mechanisms:

displacementrationalizationprojection

Cognitive Complexity:

Complexity

60%

Parasocial Techniques:

Positioning as advocate for ordinary investorsCreating shared enemy in media

Danger Assessment

Elevated

Indicators:

Threatening press with lawsuits for reporting errors creates chilling effect on journalism
Pattern of escalating anti-press rhetoric from verbal to institutional threats

Reality Distortions:

Oversimplifies market drop causation to single news report
Implies reporting errors are legally actionable fraud

Fact Checks (2)

"Stock Market went down 350 points based on Brian Ross reporting"

Half True

The market did drop approximately 350 points intraday after the Ross report but recovered most losses after the correction. Attributing the drop solely to Ross oversimplifies market dynamics.

"Brian Ross has been suspended"

True

ABC suspended Ross for four weeks without pay for the erroneous report.

Receipts

No contradictions with other posts detected yet.

Psychological Analysis: Post x_937309279257792512

Context

This is the second post in a series attacking ABC News reporter Brian Ross, who made an erroneous report about Michael Flynn's plea deal (incorrectly stating Flynn would testify Trump directed him to contact Russians during the campaign rather than during the transition). The stock market briefly dropped ~350 points on the report before recovering after the correction. Trump was likely at the White House (returned from Mar-a-Lago Nov 26). Posted at 8:15 AM ET — consistent with early morning authentic posting.

Personality Analysis

Level 1 (Traits): Low agreeableness dominates — litigiousness, antagonism, punitive orientation. High extraversion (assertive, action-oriented). Neuroticism facet of angry hostility evident but controlled into instrumental aggression.

Level 2 (Motives): Power and control motives — using institutional mechanisms (lawsuits) as weapons against media. Schema: media is an enemy that causes real harm and must be punished financially.

Level 3 (Narrative): Protagonist as protector of the aggrieved public. Positions himself as advocate for those harmed by "fake news." Contrasting other: mainstream media as destructive force.

Rhetorical Strategy

This post is notable for its strategic sophistication — rather than mere name-calling, it weaponizes the legitimate Ross error into a chilling-effect threat against media. The suggestion of lawsuits serves multiple functions: validates his "fake news" narrative, intimidates journalists, and positions a genuine reporting error as representative of all critical coverage.

Defense Mechanisms

The Flynn guilty plea is the actual trigger. Ross's error provides a convenient deflection — rather than addressing what Flynn admitted to, Trump redirects to the messenger's mistake. Classic displacement and rationalization.

Fact Verification

Claim	Verdict	Evidence
"Stock Market went down 350 points based on Brian Ross reporting"	Half True	The market did drop approximately 350 points intraday after the Ross report but recovered most losses after the correction. Attributing the drop solely to Ross oversimplifies market dynamics.
"Brian Ross has been suspended"	True	ABC suspended Ross for four weeks without pay for the erroneous report.

Overall Veracity: 75%