Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) Investigated
By Bob Patterson
Former Concord Township Trustee and observer of TDS
TDS is a term for when opposition to Trump stops being a policy disagreement and
becomes a kind of reflexive, identity-level revulsion — where the person can’t
evaluate anything Trump does on its merits because the mere fact that he did it
settles the question.
Yes, a lot of TDS is self-inflicted by Trump himself! The constant insults, the
nicknames, the late-night posts, the refusal to let any slight go — that style
generates fresh outrage every single day, and outrage is what feeds the obsession.
That said, the intensity of the reaction isn’t only about him. Some of it is genuine
policy disagreement, some is media economics — Trump is the most reliable
engagement engine in politics, so both sides profit from keeping the fire hot. But
the raw material? He supplies most of it himself.
I have run into this syndrome many times. My own relatives have TDS and debate
me all the time about their views of Trump. At least we agree to disagree but many
of my friends refuse to even debate me and are offended that I even bring his
name up! WOW this is TDS personified.
In my 80 short years on this planet, I have never seen anything like this. I must
admit, Trump does a lot of weird things that drive me crazy. But look at his
accomplishments: On immigration, crossings at the southern border dropped
sharply — the administration reports negative net migration in 2025 for the first
time in decades, plus over 2,500,000 people were removed through deportations
and self-deportations. He also signed the Laken Riley Act. Remember this?
The Laken Riley Act is a federal immigration law signed by President Trump on
January 29, 2025 — the first bill he signed in his second term.
It requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain (without bond) non-
citizens who are in the country illegally or otherwise inadmissible if they are
arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or admit to certain crimes. Those
crimes include:
Burglary
Theft
Larceny
ShopliftingAssault on a law enforcement officer
Any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury (such as DUI
manslaughter)
The person does not need to be convicted first — being charged or arrested is
enough to trigger mandatory detention.
The law is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia who
was murdered in February 2024 while jogging by an undocumented immigrant
from Venezuela who had previously been arrested for shoplifting.
On the economy, the One Big Beautiful Bill made the 2017 tax cuts permanent and
added no-tax-on-tips, overtime, and Social Security provisions. Tariffs went up on
steel, aluminum, and autos, and the White House claims trillions in new investment
commitments. Some of which are already completed with new manufacturing
facilities by Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor opened in Texas in record time.
Trump is trying to eliminate the ‘rust belt’ of our nation! Look at all the empty
manufacturing sites in the Midwest.
Foreign policy is where the most dramatic moves happened: U.S. strikes on Iran’s
nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer, the January 2026 capture of Nicolás
Maduro in Venezuela, a Gaza ceasefire that got the living hostages home, and
pressure that pushed NATO allies toward a five-percent defense-spending target.
First term had its own list — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, three Supreme Court
justices, the Abraham Accords, and Operation Warp Speed.
So, looking at these tremendous accomplishments, I can easily put my TDS aside
and thank the voting gods we have a president like Trump.
People are complaining about gas prices which will come down when Iran
capitulates. If the Democrats gain power, they GUARANTEE they will raise your
taxes. They will bring back the war on fossil fuels which our entire economy
depends! They want Medicare for all (socialized medicine). How did Obama Care
work out, remember if you want to keep your doctor you can?
Respectfully.
Bob Patterson
Former Concord Township Trustee and observer of TDS
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Categories: Community Activism, Lake County - General, Lake County Politics, Ohio Counties