Trump Derangement Syndrome: Who's Really Deranged?
An evidence-based examination of the cult-like dynamics, religious hypocrisy, and the real “derangement” surrounding Trump.
What Is “TDS”?
“Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) is a term Trump supporters use to dismiss any criticism of Trump as irrational, emotional, or obsessive. The implication is that there's nothing legitimately wrong with Trump — the problem is with the people who criticize him.
But let's examine this claim honestly. When someone documents that a president has told 30,000+ verified lies, been convicted of 34 felonies, been found liable for sexual abuse, incited an insurrection, and been impeached twice — is the “derangement” in the people who keep track of this? Or in the people who see all of it and say “I don't care”?
And that brings us to MAGA. The movement has become, by any reasonable definition, a cult of personality. That isn't hyperbole — it's a description of what happens when a group of people unconditionally defends a leader regardless of what he says or does. The frustrating thing about engaging with MAGA supporters isn't that they disagree — disagreement is healthy. It's that they refuse to engage in good faith. The pattern is always the same:
- •Intellectual dishonesty — They don't actually believe the arguments they make. They know Trump lies. They know he's corrupt. They don't care. The arguments are tools, not convictions.
- •False equivalencies — “But Obama!” “But Hillary!” “But Biden!” Every criticism of Trump is met with a deflection to someone else. This site has a dedicated section that evaluates those comparisons with actual facts.
- •Selective outrage — They spent years screaming about Hillary's emails but are silent about Trump taking classified documents to his beach club. They wanted Hunter Biden investigated but look the other way when Jared Kushner gets $2 billion from Saudi Arabia.
- •Hypocrisy — “Law and order” supporters who cheered on an insurrection. “Fiscal conservatives” who added trillions in debt. “Family values” voters backing a man who paid off a porn star. The hypocrisy isn't a bug — it's the entire operating system.
The Narcissist's Prayer — Trump Edition
The “Narcissist's Prayer” is a well-known illustration of narcissistic denial. Every line maps directly to documented Trump behavior.
“That didn't happen.”
"I never said that" — despite video evidence of him saying it
“And if it did, it wasn't that bad.”
"It was just locker room talk" — about the Access Hollywood tape
“And if it was, that's not a big deal.”
"Every president does it" — after violating norms no president has
“And if it is, that's not my fault.”
"The deep state made me do it" — deflecting accountability
“And if it was, I didn't mean it.”
"I was being sarcastic" — after suggesting injecting bleach
“And if I did, you deserved it.”
"They had it coming" — about targets of political violence
Cult-Like Characteristics
Cult researchers like Dr. Steven Hassan (author of “The Cult of Trump”) have identified multiple parallels between MAGA and recognized cult behavior patterns. These aren't opinions — they're observable, documented behavioral patterns that match established criteria.
Dr. Hassan uses the BITE model (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control) which Trump's movement checks nearly every box of.
Absolute loyalty to the leader
9/10Republican officials who criticize Trump are immediately expelled from the party. Liz Cheney went from #3 Republican in the House to party pariah for one vote of conscience.
Leader is always right, never wrong
9/10When Trump said Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama (it didn't), his followers and even NOAA backed him up. He literally altered an official weather map with a Sharpie rather than admit a mistake.
Us vs. them mentality
9/10"Democrats are the enemy from within." "Fake news is the enemy of the people." Anyone who disagrees is cast as a traitor, a RINO, or part of a vast conspiracy.
Information control — only trust the leader
10/10"What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening." Followers dismiss all mainstream media, fact-checkers, courts, and experts in favor of Trump's word alone.
Rewriting history and denying reality
10/10January 6 rioters are called "patriots" and "hostages." A violent insurrection is reframed as a "day of love." Followers repeat this despite video evidence.
Financial exploitation of followers
8/10From $399 gold sneakers to $60 Bibles to $100K meme coins to demanding donations to pay his legal bills — Trump has monetized his followers to an unprecedented degree for any political figure.
Special language and identity markers
7/10MAGA, "the movement," red hats, "fake news," "witch hunt," "covfefe" — an entire vocabulary that signals in-group membership and creates a shared identity.
Messiah complex
9/10"I alone can fix it." Comparing himself to Jesus. Selling Bibles. His followers literally say God sent Trump. This from a man who can't name a single Bible verse.
Reverse TDS: The Real Derangement
If “TDS” means being deranged about Trump, the evidence suggests the real syndrome is among his supporters — people who have abandoned all previously held values, beliefs, and relationships in service of one man. That's not political support. That's devotion.
Excusing any behavior, no matter how extreme
When Trump said he could "shoot someone on Fifth Avenue" and not lose voters, he was describing a real phenomenon. His supporters have defended everything from mocking disabled people to inciting an insurrection.
Abandoning previously held principles
Republicans who spent decades as deficit hawks, free traders, and national security champions abandoned all three positions the moment Trump told them to. They went from "Russia is our greatest threat" to hosting Russian oligarchs at Mar-a-Lago.
Believing contradictory statements simultaneously
Trump is simultaneously the strongest leader ever AND a victim of persecution. Jan 6 was both a beautiful day of patriotism AND a false-flag operation by Antifa. The election was stolen AND Trump won by the biggest margin ever.
Attacking family members and lifelong friends over politics
Countless families have been torn apart. Parents and children, siblings, lifelong friends — all severed because one side will tolerate zero criticism of Trump. The cult demands total loyalty.
Rejecting experts, science, and evidence in favor of Trump's word
Medical experts said COVID was serious — Trump said it was a hoax. Courts examined election fraud claims and rejected all 60+ cases — Trump said the courts were rigged. His followers chose Trump over doctors, judges, and reality itself.
Viewing Trump as divinely chosen
A significant percentage of evangelical supporters literally believe God sent Trump. Some have painted him into religious artwork. He sells Bibles. He compared himself to Jesus. He posted that God created him to be president.
The Religious Hypocrisy
Trump maintains ~80% support from white evangelical Christians. These are voters who claim to prioritize “family values,” traditional marriage, sexual morality, and Christian character. Let's examine what they're actually supporting.
The Stormy Daniels Timeline
This is the man 80% of white evangelicals say God chose to lead America. The man they compare to King David and Jesus Christ. A man who cheated on his third wife while she nursed their newborn baby.
What “Family Values” Actually Looks Like
Donald Trump
3 marriages · 2 divorcesMultiple documented affairs, including:
Affair with Marla Maples while married to Ivana — made tabloid front pages for months
Affair with Stormy Daniels in July 2006 — just 4 months after Melania gave birth to their son Barron. While his wife was home breastfeeding their newborn, Trump was having sex with a porn star. He later paid her $130,000 in hush money to cover it up before the 2016 election.
Affair with Karen McDougal in 2006-2007 — a 10-month relationship that overlapped with the Stormy Daniels affair, also while Melania was caring for infant Barron. National Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000 in a catch-and-kill scheme.
Access Hollywood tape (2005): "I just grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything." — while married to Melania, who was pregnant with Barron at the time.
Despite all of the above, Trump maintains ~80% support from white evangelical Christians who claim to be "values voters."
26 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, ranging from unwanted kissing to rape
Found liable for sexual abuse by a jury in the E. Jean Carroll case (2023)
34 felony convictions for falsifying business records to hide the Stormy Daniels hush money payment
Publicly mocked a disabled reporter, attacked Gold Star families, and disparaged POWs
Joe Biden
2 marriages · 0 divorcesFirst wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi died in a car accident in 1972. Biden, then a senator-elect at age 29, considered giving up his career to raise his two surviving sons, Beau and Hunter. He commuted daily by Amtrak from Wilmington to D.C. — a 90-minute trip each way — to be home for his boys every night for decades. He married Jill Biden in 1977 and they have been together for nearly 50 years.
Stood by his son Hunter Biden through addiction and legal troubles while never using presidential power to intervene in the investigation.
Known for genuine empathy and compassion, particularly around grief and loss. Stuttered as a child and has spoken openly about overcoming it.
Barack Obama
1 marriage · 0 divorcesMarried Michelle Robinson in 1992. Over 30 years together with no affairs, no scandals, no drama. The biggest 'scandal' Republicans could find in 8 years was that he wore a tan suit and used Dijon mustard.
Two daughters raised in the White House with remarkable normalcy. The Obamas are widely regarded as one of the most stable, loving families in modern presidential history.
Zero allegations of sexual misconduct. Zero affairs. Zero felonies. Zero hush money payments.
So, Who Has “TDS”?
When critics of Trump point out 30,000+ documented lies, 34 felony convictions, a finding of sexual abuse liability, two impeachments, an incitement of insurrection, and the cheating on his third wife while she nursed their baby — they're called “deranged.”
When Trump supporters see all of that same evidence and respond with “He's sent by God” and “He's the greatest president ever” — they're called “patriots.”
The derangement isn't in the people keeping track. It's in the people who see all of it and choose to look away.