The Myth of TDS, 'Trump Derangement Syndrome', the Ultimate Thought-Terminating Cliché
Let’s start with a bold declaration: the phrase "Trump Derangement Syndrome" -- TDS, as the lazy propagandists like to abbreviate it -- isn’t an argument. It’s not a diagnosis. It’s not even a clever piece of rhetoric. No, it’s a weaponized non-thought, a crutch for the intellectually bankrupt, designed to shut down discourse and delegitimize dissent. It’s a cheap parlor trick employed by those who lack the courage or the evidence to defend Donald Trump on his record, his rhetoric, or his relentless assault on democratic norms. Let’s dismantle this pernicious little construct, shall we?
The Origins of TDS: A Propaganda Playbook
The term "Trump Derangement Syndrome" did not emerge organically from the public square. It was born in the fever swamps of right-wing media and right wing think-tank boardrooms, a calculated response to growing criticism of Trump’s overwhelming unhinged behavior, policies, and ethics and horrible acts. It was designed not to describe a real psychological condition, but to delegitimize critics by branding them as irrational, hysterical, and emotionally compromised. It’s a derivative of an earlier term like "Bush Derangement Syndrome" (coined by Charles Krauthammer [RIP] in 2003) but with a sinister twist: it absolves Trump and his supporters of accountability by shifting the conversation to his critics and they use it practically daily as I don't recall BDS really catching on.
TDS is the ultimate exercise in projection. Trump’s most ardent defenders -- who themselves exhibit an almost cultish devotion to their leader—accuse others of being unhinged, not because there’s evidence to support the claim, but because it’s an effective way to dodge legitimate criticism. When confronted with Trump’s mountain of lies, corruption, and incompetence, they don’t engage on the merits. They don’t refute the facts. They cry “TDS!” and pretend the conversation is over.
TDS as a Thought-Terminating Cliché
And that is precisely what makes TDS so insidious: it is the textbook definition of a thought-terminating cliché. A term that, when invoked, is meant to foreclose critical thinking, derail meaningful discussion, and stifle debate. The phrase doesn’t encourage examination of Trump’s actions or policies; it dismisses criticism as irrational, unworthy of further consideration. "Why are you upset about the Muslim ban, the family separations, or the January 6th insurrection?" “Oh, you must have TDS.” Case closed. Oh, sure, the left has a few buzz words they toss about, but nothing as a thought-terminating cliche magnitude as that of TDS which is literally designed to curb critical thinking and kill the conversation/dissent, etc.
This is propaganda 101: if you can’t argue on substance, attack the person. If you can’t win the debate, delegitimize the debate itself. It’s a lazy shortcut for people unwilling to grapple with the catastrophic implications of their own beliefs. Come up with a powerful TTC and pass it onto your flock, your fellow Trump base believers & fans.
Debunking the Myth of TDS
Let’s be clear: the criticisms leveled at Trump are not the product of irrational hatred. It's okay to harber rational, justified, contempt, this is not blind hatred, but the right loves to parade the idea that it is irrational hatred, without cause or meaning or reason. No, the left's contempt for Trump based on evidence, facts, and observable reality. Consider just a few examples:
- Trump’s Lies: By the end of his presidency, Trump had told over 30,000 documented false or misleading claims, according to the Washington Post. Pointing this out isn’t deranged; it’s journalism.
- Corruption: Trump used the presidency to enrich himself and his family, from steering government business to his properties to monetizing foreign policy decisions. Criticizing this isn’t hysteria; it’s accountability.
- Authoritarian Tendencies: Trump’s disdain for democratic norms, from refusing to concede an election to inciting an insurrection, is unprecedented in modern American history. Calling this out isn’t irrational; it’s patriotic. The evidence is abundant.
Yet, when these criticisms are raised, they’re met with cries of “TDS,” as though pointing out the obvious were a sign of mental illness. It’s gaslighting on a national scale -- a way to invert reality and make the critic seem like the problem.
The Hypocrisy of the TDS Accusation
The irony, of course, is that the people who cry “TDS” are often the ones most deranged by Trump -- deranged not in opposition, but in their blind loyalty and 'see no evil, hear no evil' posture on the man -- they refuse to hear and see the evidence which is clearly before them, nor do they care. Hell, I recall a time when if a woman who wasn't a candidate's wife sat on his lap his candidacy was over. But with Trump? Nooooo, not this GOP, there is no amount of mortal turpitude that will sway them from their veritable 'dear leader' (recall the time, which happened more than once, during a meeting of important staff, where each leaned forward to praise Trump in a soviet styled appraisal in 'dear leader' fashion). These are the people who cheered when Trump said he could “shoot someone on Fifth Avenue” and not lose their support. The people who defended him after he bragged about sexual assault. The people who stormed the Capitol on his orders, believing his lies about a stolen election. If anyone suffers from a syndrome, it is this unthinking faction of Trump supporters who have sacrificed reason, morality, and patriotism at the altar of their leader, and that number is in the many millions. Trump is a master of one thing, mind manipulation of the gullible and 'low educated' --- no wonder he loves low educated, he came right out and admitted. Did anyone on the right stop, for just a moment, and ask why? Why hasn't any other right leaning candidate ever mentioned? Why? Because America has never experienced a demagogue on the scale that Trump is. And if you do not know what a demagogue is, look it up. Trump is a classic text book example. All demagogues succeed in reducing their flock to a bucket of thought-terminating cliches, because they can't have indoctrinated believes questioning the leader, thinking critically, now can they?
The Real Danger of TDS
But TDS isn’t just a rhetorical device -- it’s a tool of erosion. It erodes accountability by insulating Trump from legitimate criticism. It erodes debate by shutting down conversation. And most dangerously, it erodes reality itself, replacing facts with a narrative where Trump is the victim and anyone who opposes him is a lunatic.
This is how democracies die -- not with tanks in the streets, but with the slow, insidious normalization of propaganda and the delegitimization of dissent. TDS is not just a lie; it’s a weapon in the larger war on truth. Remember, Trump is the guy who shouted, at just about every rally, that the free press is 'the enemy of the peop[e', that way, anything critical printed of Trump, they will associate the press with the enemy. THe sad truth is, a flourishing, vigorous press, far more than men with guns, is that very thing standing between the liberty of our citizens and tyranny. Without a free press, critical or otherwise, democracy dies,
Conclusion: Rejecting the Cliché
So the next time someone cries “TDS,” call it what it is: a myth, a fraud, and a cowardly escape from serious debate. Point out that the criticisms of Trump are rooted in evidence, not emotion. Demand accountability, not cheap slogans. And above all, refuse to let this thought-terminating cliché silence the truths that need to be told.
Because if we let "TDS" go unchallenged, we’re not just letting Trump off the hook -- we’re letting democracy itself slip away. And that, my friends, is the real derangement.
www.buzzfeed.com
