Exploring the Phenomenon of Trump Derangement Syndrome

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. recently discussed the concept of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) on a podcast with Adam Carolla. Kennedy suggested, partly in jest, that TDS could be assigned an ICD (International Classification of Diseases) code, illustrating the impact of the phenomenon on Americans, including his own family.

Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist, has also highlighted the presence of TDS. He asserts that 75% of his liberal Manhattan clients exhibit symptoms, emphasizing the severity of the issue. Alpert describes TDS as a significant pathology of our time, noting that people become obsessed and hyper-focused on former President Trump. Symptoms include sleeplessness, feelings of trauma, and restlessness due to Trump’s influence.

Both Kennedy and Alpert recognize TDS as real but misunderstand its nature. It should be perceived as mass hysteria rather than a disorder affecting individuals alone. The focus should be on addressing societal factors that encourage this hysteria, much like issues surrounding gender identity.

Mass hysteria is marked by specific beliefs triggering symptoms, no underlying conditions, atypical behaviors, and exaggerated fears. The current media climate amplifies irrational fears concerning Trump, depicting him as an omnipresent threat. This portrayal leads adults, not children, to sever ties with relatives and view Trump-related concerns as existential threats.

“Belief in something specific that has triggered their symptoms.”

“No underlying conditions that could prompt the symptoms.”

“They would not behave this way normally.”

“Extreme fear of an exaggerated or a non-existent threat.”

The media’s portrayal of Trump as an all-encompassing problem contributes to the spread of TDS. Columns, advice pieces, and social media content encourage people to distance themselves from Trump-supporting family members, often Moralizing these actions.

A report by a Trump-aligned pollster highlights that educated, affluent White women have shifted politically leftward. Addressing TDS requires confronting the media narratives that exacerbate this hysteria rather than relying on medical or therapeutic interventions. Historic examples of mass hysteria, such as the Salem Witch Trials, show that these events have ended in the past, and so too will TDS, though addressing media influences could expedite the process.