We Are the Cure for TDS

Real Clear Politics ^ | October 08, 2025 | Anthony Constantino

[E. Pluribus Unum]

America has a sickness, and it’s not just a horrendously unhealthy food supply. It’s deeper, darker, and more sinister. It goes by three letters: TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome.

What is TDS? It is a condition that turns ordinary people into hateful monsters whenever President Trump is mentioned. It drives politicians, journalists, professors, and late-night comedians to hate rather than admit that President Trump is good for America. It divides families, ruins friendships, and convinces people that their fellow Americans are enemies rather than good-natured citizens.

I’ve known about TDS since before it had a name. Back in 2016, I was one of the first people “canceled” for supporting President Trump. I donated $500 and sent a few tweets in support. Within hours, Democrat activists attacked me, my company, and my employees. Tens of thousands of hateful emails flooded in. A small army threatened to destroy my business, and I was viciously defamed. All over $500. That’s TDS.

Since then, I’ve been an astute observer of the phenomenon. I watched hate mobs rage on what was once called Twitter for years at anyone who supported President Trump. The news, even on public airwaves, became anti-Trump hate fests where they spread hoax after hoax that divided our country. Meanwhile Trump supporters were banned, en masse, from social media, and President Trump was banned too. That’s TDS.

Fast forward to the 2024 election, when I put a 100-foot-wide Vote For Trump sign on top of my tallest building in Amsterdam, New York. My lawyers warned me against doing it. “Democrats are vicious,” they told me. They were right. I woke up to a restraining order threatening me with jail. I fought back, won in court, and the sign still stands. But the hate mobs didn’t stop. The mere sight of three words...

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:

[laplata]

I know of nothing that can cure TDS. The Left is too insane.

[Billthedrill]

I had an old friend whom I had not heard from in at least a decade rekindle the communications in an email that began "Hi how have you been?" and immediately segued into two intense paragraphs of how much he hates Trump. When I gently suggested we could keep politics out of our discourse and reminisce over the good times he clammed up and I haven't heard from him since. This isn't normal behavior for anyone, and especially it isn't normal for who he used to be.

So yeah, we may be looking at a genuine mental pathology here, not simply a humorous catchphrase.

[Vaduz]

Hate mobs didn’t stop indeed communism is their goal no amount of pain and suffering will be spared to reach it.

[al baby]

Death by Bungee cord failure

[mairdie]

I was contacted recently by a friend of a friend who was reaching out as we’d met 30 years ago. She’s a widow now and fairly isolated so hoped we could chat about this and that. We exchanged a number of emails and found quite a bit in common. Then I wrote of my love for Trump and she hasn’t written back since. Of all the topics covered, TDS is most likely. I assumed she was not a Trump fan, but it was sad that she couldn’t put that issue aside for the value she found in other issues.

With my close liberal friends, we’ve always been able to be specific about what topics are off-limit to maintain friendship. I can’t say anything negative about BLM, Critical Race Theory or Democrats, and they can’t say anything negative about Trump.

So maybe you need long years of affection to be able to find a way past TDS.

[Harpotoo]

More cowbell?-)

[TheDon]

The symptoms are similar to those involved in cults. Perhaps some type of deprogramming is required?

[caprock]

YEP!

[jackibutterfly]

I can remember when there was BDS, Bush Derangement Syndrome. Do you guys remember that? Looks like this derangement syndrome has been around a long time.

[A strike]

Congressional term limits..

[Night Hides Not]

The only sure cure for TDS is death, as with all incurable diseases.

[laplata]

That’s a good thought. It worked pretty well in Germany after the war but only about 12% of Germans were Nazi party members. That might work for some, but I believe most are too far gone.

[laplata]

You mean they should wear cowbells? Not a bad idea to warn us but it would get to be annoying. Lol

[TheDon]

“That might work for some, but I believe most are too far gone.”

I hope not. Horrible to think of a Heaven’s Gate cult ending for them.

[logi_cal869]

I get the joke, but I call it ‘true pandemic’ and it transcends DJT.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[redinIllinois]

.

[KittyKares]

So maybe you need long years of affection to be able to find a way past TDS.
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That doesn’t always work. I had a friend for decades. We weren’t best friends but good friends and never had an argument. But when Trump started deporting people, and I supported Trump’s efforts, she lost her mind and ended the relationship. I was pretty stunned. All those years could not override her TDS.