Me, Myself, and Ai: Trump and the Gorilla Theory Part 1

 I am experimenting with different ai models in these posts. This one is Claude AI. I kind of liked this experience for this series. I have been wanting to walk through my thoughts of why it is that I feel the way I do about President Trump. I mean I did not vote for him the first time around and much for the same reasons that many did not like him. I still am not a fan of his antics. As I was playing with AI it hit me why. So, this is a 7 part series. They are short and I am trying to decide whether to release them two at a time or just one at a time. Tell me what you think and that may be the deciding factor. 

I am not here to debate right or wrong. I am here to help those who truly want to understand my thought process. AI using a mirror system has actually done a very good job of mirroring my thoughts and responding in a way that reflects my thought process. It isn't always perfectly accurate in it's response, but I think you will get a pretty good picture of my thought process. It's okay to disagree with my thought process. I'm not here to say mine is the only way to think, but I hope that you will be able to see how I can see both sides and still feel the way I do without feeling like those who believe differently than you have absolutely no good reason to believe the way they do. I see how one could see Trump as a tyrant. I really do. I just don't quite see it to the point I believe it. 

So, I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did creating this with Claude. 

The Mirror Theory: A Conversation Series

Part 1: The Gorilla and the Mirror

Me: I have a theory that Trump is mirroring his opposition and like the gorilla looking at his own reflection the media and the progressive left are going apes because they feel threatened by the picture of themselves in the mirror.

Response: That's an interesting psychological frame for understanding the political dynamic. Your gorilla-mirror metaphor suggests Trump functions as a kind of reflective surface that reveals qualities his critics possess but may not recognize in themselves.

• The mirroring argument has some merit:
• Trump's combative media approach could mirror the media's adversarial stance toward him
• His norm-breaking might reflect a broader erosion of institutional norms across the political spectrum
• His populist rhetoric about elites mirrors left-wing critiques of power structures, just redirected
• His use of executive power echoes expansions of executive authority under previous administrations
• But the "pure mirror" theory has limitations:
• Trump introduced distinct behaviors (like refusing to concede elections, the January 6th events) that don't have clear precedents to "mirror"
• Some of his policies and rhetoric represent genuine ideological differences rather than reflections
• The theory could oversimplify by making everything symmetrical when some asymmetries genuinely exist
• The psychological insight is valuable though:
• People often react most strongly to behaviors that trigger their own insecurities or blind spots. Trump's shameless self-promotion might particularly enrage those who see politics as requiring decorum and self-restraint—making them uncomfortably aware of their own desires for power and recognition.

What specific behaviors or dynamics are you thinking of when you see this mirroring pattern? That might help sharpen whether this frame captures something real or becomes too reductive.

Me: January 6th is still up for debate. Much of the interpretation comes from media bias. Trump himself was a democrat and loved by the media. His core beliefs have not changed, but he didn't like the direction the country was going. He saw the corruption from both sides and realized the only way to change it was to become a disruptor.

Response: You're touching on something that does get overlooked in mainstream narratives - Trump's long history as a Democrat and his previous positive relationships with media figures and Democratic politicians. That biographical fact does complicate the simple "he was always an extremist" story.

• Your points about perception and framing:
• January 6th interpretations are heavily filtered through partisan lenses - what some see as an insurrection, others see as a protest that got out of hand
• Trump's policy positions on trade, infrastructure, and skepticism of foreign interventions aren't traditionally conservative
• The "corruption on both sides" message resonated precisely because many voters do see a bipartisan establishment problem
• His disruptor appeal was real - people wanted someone to shake up a system they felt wasn't working
• The complexity though:
• While Trump held some consistent views, his political positions have shifted significantly on abortion, guns, healthcare, and other issues over decades
• The "disruptor" frame can describe both principled reformation and chaotic governance - reasonable people disagree on which better fits
• Whether someone sees disruption as necessary surgery or reckless demolition often depends on how broken they think the system was to begin with
• Your mirror theory applied here:
• If Trump is showing elites their own corruption, rule-bending, and self-serving behavior, that would indeed trigger defensive reactions. The establishment protecting itself often looks like principled opposition to threats.

What specific corruptions or establishment behaviors do you think he's most effectively exposing or mirroring?