Whenever I have some non-complimentary things to say about Donald, several of my relatives accuse me of having Trump Derangement Syndrome, that Wikipedia defines as thus:
Trump derangement syndrome (TDS) is a pejorative term, used to describe criticism of or negative reactions to President Donald Trump that are perceived to be irrational and to have little regard for Trump's actual policy positions. The term has mainly been used by Trump supporters to discredit criticism of him, as a way of re-framing the discussion by suggesting that his opponents are incapable of accurately perceiving the world. Some journalists have used the term to call for restraint when judging Trump's statements and actions.
Despite the usage of the term syndrome suggesting a medical condition, TDS is not an official medical diagnosis. A 2021 research study found no evidence to support the existence of TDS among Trump detractors on the left, but instead found bias among his supporters.
I would like to follow up on the last sentence, and posit the following:
There are two distinct types of TDS, one that can be labeled TDS-RL for Trump Derangement Syndrome-Radical Left, and a second one labeled TDS-RR for Trump Derangement Syndrome-Radical Right.
I believe that TDS-RL was a primary reason that Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election. The Democrats bought into the idea that attacking Trump as the pernicious, narcissistic, misogynistic, felon, faux-Christian, sexual predator con-man that he is would surely convince voters to support Harris. Obviously this failed. Voters wanted clear statements on the border, illegal immigration, the economy, on men in women's sports, etc., and they got Harris saying that she couldn't think of anything that she would have done differently during the previous four years.
Similarly, I believe that TDS-RR was also a signficant reason that Trump won. The avid Trump supporters, who are akin to a cult, support Trump regardless of whatever outlandish lies he tells. The main thing that they care about is "Trump owning the libs" via his rhetoric, even though his policies are most likely going to have an adverse effect on many of his supporters [excepting of course his buddy billionaires]. Too bad these folks didn't actually read Project 2025.
