This was a very revealing, calculated meeting designed to characterize Zelensky/Ukraine as "deserving" of the "punishment" of an unfair deal that Trump/Vance are angling to give Putin.

Let's unpack.....

1/

https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1895545749896822953

The video starts with Trump claiming that he can’t speak negatively about Putin because it will undermine his role as a neutral mediator, and hamper negotiations.

However, that didn’t stop Trump from calling Zelensky a corrupt dictator.

2/

https://x.com/DeanObeidallah/status/1895212947858997388

Watching Yarvin pontificate in his leather jacket reminded me of a 6th year senior......still living in the dorms…

...pulling bong hits with 18 year old freshmen who are blown away by his enlightened "brilliance”...

...because they lack the life experience to call "bullshit".

Yarvin’s nonsensical philosophies would be amusing if he wasn’t taken seriously by so many powerful people.

Let’s unpack….

1/ @jordanbPeterson has been described as being a dumb person’s idea of a smart person….

2/

https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/1462079189641830405

Trump sycophants:

Americans voted for Trump/Elon to unconstitutionally dismantle the government.

This is a lie:

1) Many voted on inflation...which is getting worse

2) Trump disavowed the "extreme" Project 2025 playbook

To the extent people voted on Project 2025, it was by foolishly believing they could trust that a pathologically dishonest, sociopathic narcissist would not implement something he described as "extreme".

1/ ....2/....

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1886584274390016116

The statements by JD Vance and Mike Lee about rejecting the separation of powers….

.....and therefore the constitution…..

.....are evidence of the continual slide into authoritarianism.

1/

https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1888621283723628670

Back in 2021 Vance telegraphed a future Authoritarian-aspiring regime….

.....which turned out to be Trump 2.0….

.....unconstitutionally defying the Article 3 branch of the government (judiciary).

2/

"Bannon on Musk & the Battle for Trump's Ear"

I was curious what Bannon thought about Musk commandeering the government.

Instead, the conversation further exposed the fraudulence of Trump as a populist leader…

...as well as the fraudulence of Bannon’s guerilla populist rhetoric (servitude).

Let’s unpack….

1/ At the 6:00 minute mark, Bannon indulges MAGA (populist) victimhood:

2/

Some observations on RFK:

His voice impairment benefits him, because it's difficult to pick up on subtle "tells" in inflection, cadence, tone, or changes in comfort, confidence, or authenticity when speaking.

Instead.....

1/ .....there is a mix of truth, speculation, opinion, and conspiracy that is distorted and distracted by his speaking/voice issues.

2/

When watching the evolution of the relationships between the conservatives/liberals in this video, I thought about a modern day replication of the famous “Milgram” shock experiment.

1/

https://twitter.com/us_the_story/status/1884279155786932287

The primary take-away from the Milgram experiment generally focused on obedience to authority.

But one important variable in the experiment was that the participants of the experiment were disconnected from the person they thought they were hurting.

They did not know or see the person they were harming.

2/

Regardless of whether Trump was bought off by Tik Tok investors/donors…

....or driven by his need for narcissistic supply from "young" users...

….Trump’s narcissism compromised him, and once again exposed his unfitness to be president.

Let’s unpack the Tik Tok flip-flop….

1/ First, a refresher on Tik Tok:

In 2024, @gregghurwitz, @gretchenBarton and the Worthy Strategy Group analyzed how China/Russian/Iran were manipulating young Americans to hate the U.S...

...as analyzed in this thread:

2/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1848876057312858272

After watching the first three days of the Republican National Convention I wrote this thread.

Later that night, I was on @donlemon and discussed the effect the surrogates (Rogan, etc) would have on young men.

Soon after, I was on the Muckrake podcast reiterating my observation of the evolution/"maturation" of the MAGA movement.

And over the last several months, I've been analyzing and criticizing @jordanbpeterson's psychological analysis and endorsement of Trump.

1/x.com/Nick_Carmody/s… .....2/....

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1814035250529341826

It's really difficult to pause, and reflect when we are consumed with fear and anxiety. Contemplating our "shadow" in the Carl Jungian sense is a higher level of consciousness....it requires us to engage our prefrontal cortex.

Fear and anxiety keep the amygdala engaged in overdrive.....which hijacks the prefrontal cortex.

The more scared and anxious we are, the more self-preservational we become.

1/ Exposure to chronic stress and fear literally rewires our brains to become rewired, and to become disproportionately reactive to stress/anxiety/fear…

....so that we respond to subsequent stress/fear-inducing experiences more intensely and for a longer duration:

2/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1654908380048424960

It's becoming increasingly clear that the greatest danger of a Trump election victory on January 5th may not be Trump…….

.....it’s that JD Vance will be Vice President to a guy who is almost 80 years old, who is obese, and who doesn’t believe in exercise

This interview with Tapper displays Vance’s dishonesty, bad faith, and his considerable gaslighting skill.

This interview displays how difficult it is to have a rational, logical, internally consistent conversation with someone who as intelligent, and as skilled in gaslighting as Vance.

In this interview, Vance obscures and distracts from the focus on Trump’s personality disorders and lack of character by dismissively framing the people warning about Trump as being war-lusting "disgruntled" employees who are only speaking out because they have "an axe to grind".

Tapper:
4 star Marine Corp General/DHS secretary/Chief of Staff John Kelly’s,
4 star Marine Corp General/Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis;
3 star General/National Security Adviser H.R McMaster
Trump appointed Chairman of Joint Chief of Staffs Mark Milley;
Vice President Mike Pence;
John Bolton
Secretary of Defense John Esper

Vance: “Are you going to listen to every Trump administration official?”

One of the manipulative tactics of gaslighting manipulators is to frame the other party to the argument as being at fault, or ridiculous, for bringing up serious issues and/or egregious behaviors.

Here, for example, Vance implies that the problem isn’t that an unprecedented number of highly accomplished people are warning about Trump’s psychological unfitness…..it’s that:

1) Tapper is *ridiculous* because he is listing/listening to “every Trump administration official”

…and….

2) ….all of these unprecedented warnings from highly accomplished officials about Trump being psychologically unfit from actually exposes a flaw in Kamala Harris: that she won’t fire anyone…..and that all of these people are disgruntled because Trump fired them. Basically, Vance is saying that all of these people warning about Trump's unfitness is a sign of Trump's leadership, as evidenced by his propensity to fire people.

Not only is Vance gaslighting with his pivot away from their warnings, but he’s lying. When Tapper goes down the list pointing out that Trump actually did not fire them....which undermines Vance’s entire argument…..Vance doubles down on his false narrative/lies:
“He fired a lot of those people, Jake, and he did so because they weren’t doing their job.”

Vance then

Vance tries to gaslight and distract from John Kelly’s warnings about Trump's unfitness when he claims that John Kelly’s “fundamental disagreement” with Trump is because Trump would not accede to his warmongering:
“Why does John Kelly not support Trump? It’s about policy not personality”.

Tapper rebuts Vance's gaslighting by pointing out that Kelly said he agrees with Trump on almost all policies. Tapper also points out that Kelly lost a son in Afghanistan and never stated whether he supported the wars he and his son fought in.

Vance gaslights again: “Is your argument that a person who lost a son means they can’t be wrong about public policy?.....then why bring that up”

Tapper points out that Kelly never took a public position on whether Kelly agreed with the wars.

Vance supports his gaslighting narrative/claim, not with evidence, but with "feels" and *second hand conversations* (see below) when he says: “….because I KNOW John Kelly’s worldview…and I know the people who have attacked Donald Trump the most vociferously on foreign policy they’ll say well he’s a dictator, and what they really mean is that Donald Trump won’t listen to the leadership of the military when they want Trump to start ridiculous conflicts”.

Vance is attempting to dismiss numerous extremely accomplished people’s concerns about Trump’s psychological unfitness, and frame it as “policy disagreements”.....from disgruntled fired former employees (even though most resigned).....as being from people who are driven by the inhumanity/profit of war.....and from people who oppose Trump because he is a “dove” who only wants peace and prosperity.

Remember, Trump has rooted for American suffering so he can politically/personally benefit from it (stock market, border security bill, etc.)

After sensing observing that Vance is relying on what “I know” rather than facts, empirical evidence....Tapper says:
“….you’re ascribing worldviews based on gut…there’s no evidence…”

3:30 Vance: “Based on people I’ve talked to in the Trump administration….” (second hand conversations)

Tapper: “Kelly was at DHS and chief of staff, he was not weighing in…[on the wars]”

Question:

When Vance called Trump Hitler, and "cultural heroin"…..was it because Vance opposed Trump’s peace and prosperity-driven public/foreign policy?

1/ x.com/atrupar/status…

Tapper quoting Vance: “I guarantee John Kelly talked with Harris's campaign….People close to Kelly and the Harris campaign”.

When Tapper reports that both sides denied speaking to each other.
Vance says, “Oh, I’m highly skeptical of that, Jake…..you know the way these attacks work. You know the way these people are often vetted….”

Tapper: “…so you made it up?

Vance: “No (but Vance’s tone when denying he made it up suggests otherwise)… I said the American media and Dem party apparatus works a certain way, if it comes out that John Kelly never ever spoke with [the Harris campaign]….then I’m happy too…”

Tapper: “I’m telling you that.”

Vance: "You’re telling me that based on second hand conversation with John Kelly…..and it’s interesting, we’ve now spent three minutes talking about John Kelly…..if it is true that he never spoke with anyone in Kamala Harris’ orbit I’m happy to apologize to John Kelly for mis-stating how he delivered this news to the Atlantic Magazine…”

….and then Vance uses the choice of who Kelly spoke to as a means of delegitimizing Kelly's warnings:

“Jeffrey Goldberg who lied the U.S. into the Iraq war, which led to the deaths of millions of innocent Arabs and thousands of innocent Americans…..you don’t go to that guy if you don’t have a particular ideological motive. I think that’s what’s going on, if I’m wrong, I’m happy to say I’m wrong.”

Vance speculates and accuses people of motives that he, “thinks”, what he “knows”, etc.

2/

I've written extensively about Peterson's misdiagnosis of Trump....and the (his) emotional/psychological factors that may explain it.

If Peterson came out against Trump, he might single handedly keep him out of office b/c of his immense influence with men…

...and because:

1/

https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1849584885918302571

Thread analyzing Peterson's ridiculous confusion by and assessment of "Trump Derangement Syndrome"....by psychoanalyzing Peterson:

2/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1808649297921257686

This is a really interesting conversation. There are multiple things going on:

1) @GreggHurwitz is giving very informative presentation about how our foreign enemies are tearing apart the country….and how to mitigate the polarization/tribalism that foreign (and domestic) enemies are stoking.

2) The subtext of the discussion is one that plays out repeatedly across the country:

An acknowledgment that the country is being torn apart by divisive, “pathological”, “psychopaths” and “narcissists”…..yet people’s personal investment (identity), ego/pride, emotion-driven subjectivity cause them to either...

.....be incapable of seeing their personal, or the collective tribe’s (political leaders/partisan media/constituents), contribution to the problem……

.....or they just simply refuse to do so.

This is happening throughout this discussion.

Let’s unpack…..

1/

youtube.com/watch?v=ZVw2sd… @Gregghurwitz is trying to comprehensively analyze a multidimensional problem that both sides contribute to…..

....and with one or two exceptions, Peterson is insistent on only pointing out the Left’s problems, while completely ignoring that Trump is not only the antithesis of conservative values/culture that Peterson views as the core of human civilization…..

....but that, due to his severe Cluster B Personality Disorders, Trump is also incapable of conducting himself in a way that does not destroy that “core”....that “center”….that is referred to repeatedly in the discussion.

2/

The diagnostic criteria for personality disorders are “a pervasive pattern” of behavior that falls outside of a normal range….to the point of drastically deviating from generally acceptable behavior.

@mcuban
1/

https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1845648651860758672

The diagnostic criteria for personality disorders are “a pervasive pattern” of behavior that falls outside of a normal range….to the point of drastically deviating from generally acceptable behavior.

2/ @mcuban

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1843790482406813956

We are a country of deeply psychologically/emotionally wounded people who use what has evolved into a pathological political system to simultaneously exorcise…..and weaponize….childhood trauma.

Let’s unpack JD Vance/@JDVance

1/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1654914237565911041

In 2019, I wrote about Donald Trump being a “pathological people pleaser”.



When Trump can’t “please” a particular person or group.....he punishes those who "reject" him....

….and then uses what is often inhumane "punishment" to curry favor from people who approve of that behavior.

(In this transaction, Trump receives positive reinforcement/narcissistic supply)

2/

https://twitter.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1146777194040946693

Very powerful video exposing religious extremism in Iran....

......and how it is effectively being exported to the West through radicalized religious leaders, academics....

....and, with the help of social media (TikTok)…..college and even high school/middle school kids.

1/

https://twitter.com/us_the_story/status/1836483034964443240

The Right has correctly identified the threat, the reach, and the effect of this infiltration in America/Europe.

However, it’s interesting to listen to people like @jordanbpeterson, @RubinReport, etc....

....obsess about the Iranian/Islamic/Marxist infiltration into Left/Progressive/Democratic politics....

2/

There may be several things going on here with Trump, his obsessive inability to let go of Biden....and the criticism surrounding Biden not running.

First, anyone who’s been in a bad relationship where years of resentment builds up has experienced the phenomenon where the current action/statement the other person is criticizing you for isn’t really about the current action/behavior…..

....it’s just that the current action/behavior presents an opportunity to channel/focus that built up resentment/contempt for you: "I'm frustrated/wounded, and I want to use this opportunity to hurt/wound you".

If you step right (in the non-political sense), you’re criticized for not stepping left….and if you had stepped left, you would have been criticized for not stepping right.

It’s not about which direction you step, it’s about exploiting the opportunity to criticize/attack you.

Similarly, the Right’s criticism was that Biden was too old, was “A Weekend at Bernie’s” puppet, and that it was a disgrace that the Democrats were running him again (stepped right, instead of left).

Then when Biden stepped down, and Kamala became the nominee…..a narrative is created around Biden not being there (stepped left instead of stepping right).

This happens constantly in politics where both parties have extreme contempt/resentment for each other...

1/ Another potential factor:

Trump’s Cluster B personality disorders cause him to create alternate realities when actual reality threatens him, or violates his pathologically distorted concept of “fairness”.



To Trump, it’s “unfair” that he/they were prepared for running against (and beating) Biden....

....but now he "unfairly" has to run against, and potentially lose to Kamala.

3/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1818311596235501711

Observations of Trump at his press conference:

He's raging. At the beginning of the speech, Trump’s eyes were squinty/narrowed…his brow/forehead was tight/furrowed….and his mouth was very tight, especially at the beginning of the speech.

When he's feeling it/himself at rally's, he's usually very animated/loose with his mouth. Not today.

The one notable time when he was animated with his mouth was when he was talking about Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, and it indicated contempt (1:04:30).

1/
Trump's rage was channeled into inciting fear:

He repeatedly claimed Americans are not safe, that the economy would collapse into a depression if he's not president, and that there will be a world war.

Trump uses fear to scare people into self-preservationally voting for a “strongman”:

2/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1449715945643995141

Trump literally thinks like child. He sounds like a 3 year old telling a shopping mall Santa Claus what a good boy he has been.....and which neighbor kid has been mean to him.

Deciphered transcript of Trump's random stream of Narcissistic consciousness from the interview:

“One of the most famous/richest/influential people (Zuckerberg) in the world who runs one of the biggest/most important companies in the world……called me multiple times because I’m so important, and because he wanted to talk to me so badly….to tell me how amazing the media/TV event/show that I headlined (RNC convention) was…..to tell me how amazing I am….and to tell me how brave I am……and to tell me that because I am so brave that this really important influential person (Zuckerberg) cannot fathom supporting anyone but me because he respects me so much….because although this amazing grandiose thing (my amazing reaction to the assassination attempt) is so respected by this important person (Zuckerberg)….but to me it was a normal response because I’m so amazing that it’s normal for me to do amazing things….and because I’m so amazing I’m going to remind everyone again that this really important person (Zuckerberg) called me multiple times on consecutive days to tell me how amazing I am…..and to grovel to me with apologies……..but these bad people who don’t like me enough (Google) didn’t call me to tell me how amazing I am or to grovel to me….I do shows like yours (H)….your show is amazing because you have me on, and grovel to me because I’m amazing….and they (the rest of the country who loves me) show clips of your show when I’m on “all over the place” because I’m amazing….and then “you’re [I’m] all over those little beautiful cell phones” that have pictures/videos of me, because I’m amazing….you have a great product, a great brand because you grovel to me…..so you [“I”] have to get out….you [“I”] have to do things like your amazing show (because you grovel to me)….and other shows that grovel to me…..Google has been very bad, they’ve been very irresponsible because they don’t grovel to me….and if/when I’m president I’m going to take retaliatory actions [“I will be your retribution”] against them…..I will say this…..this really important person [Zuckerberg] that I used to hate, but am now repeatedly reminding everyone of how much he likes me and that “he called me a lot”…..he likes me….”

1/ ...2/...

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1818645375370023211

When analyzing why some women still support a pathologically immoral, abusive political leader like Trump…

....it’s important to consider the role of fear…...and evolutionary psychology:

"Primal tribalism"

Let’s unpack….

1/

https://twitter.com/TOCB10/status/1819386584728257010

Not all of Trump’s supporter are bad people.

In fact, as people like @TimAlberta have written/analyzed, when separated from political consumption/discourse, most are still good people in just about every other aspect of their life.

2/
bytimalberta.com

Everything must be viewed through the lens of Trump's extreme narcissism.

Even Trump's sociopathy occurs in the service of his Narcissism.

As explained in my analysis of @gtconway3d's & @duty2warn's conversation of @psychopac24’s ad:

“Trump’s narcissism > his sociopathy”:

1/

https://twitter.com/DrYasmeme/status/1818411669678342569

In 2019, there was a @JimVandeHei interview of Trump where Trump appeared to get emotional talking about:

“I want to be nice. I don’t want to be this way, but I have to be this way”.

I wrote about how Trump is counterintuitively a "people pleaser".

2/

https://x.com/Nick_Carmody/status/1146777502498426881