You've probably seen it in a heated Twitter thread or heard it barked during a Thanksgiving dinner argument. Someone makes a sharp critique of a policy, and the immediate response isn't a counter-argument about data or law. It's: "You've just got a bad case of TDS."
But what is TDS in politics, really? Honestly, it's one of those terms that has morphed so much since it first appeared that it’s hard to keep track of what it actually means anymore. Most people use it as a conversational "stop button" to end a debate they don’t want to have.
Basically, TDS stands for Trump Derangement Syndrome. It isn't a medical diagnosis you'll find in the DSM-5, but in the world of 2026 political discourse, it's treated like a contagious fever.
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Where did the "Derangement" label actually come from?
It’s easy to think this started in 2016, but the DNA of the term goes way back. We have to look at the late Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist turned Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. Back in 2003, he coined "Bush Derangement Syndrome."
He used it to describe what he saw as an irrational, paranoiac reaction to George W. Bush’s presidency. He wasn't just talking about people who disagreed with the Iraq War. He was talking about people who seemed to lose their grip on reality whenever Bush spoke.
Fast forward to August 2015. Esther Goldberg wrote an op-ed in The American Spectator and swapped "Bush" for "Trump." Suddenly, a new rhetorical weapon was born. It started as a way for "Ruling Class Republicans" to be mocked for their fear of the upstart candidate, but it quickly became the go-to shield for the MAGA movement.
Is TDS a real thing or just a mean meme?
If you ask a political scientist or a psychologist, you’ll get two very different answers.
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From a clinical standpoint, no, it’s not real. You can't get a prescription for it. However, in 2025, we actually saw some wild developments in this space. Five Republican senators in Minnesota even tried to introduce a bill to add TDS to the state’s list of recognized mental illnesses. It was mostly a symbolic move—a bit of legislative performance art—but it shows how much the term has been weaponized.
Psychologically, though, what people call TDS is often just extreme affective polarization. This is when your dislike for the "other side" becomes so intense that you view them not just as wrong, but as an existential threat.
The Two Versions of the "Syndrome"
Interestingly, the definition of TDS depends entirely on who is talking.
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- The Critic’s Version: Trump supporters use the term to dismiss any criticism. If you point out a legal filing or a controversial quote, they might say your "hatred" is blinding you to the facts. To them, it’s a label for people who are "broken" by Trump's existence.
- The Inverted Version: More recently, critics of the former president have tried to flip the script. They argue the real derangement is the unquestioning loyalty of the "cult-like" following. They’ve even coined terms like "Trump Submission Syndrome" to describe people who they feel have abandoned their own values to stay in line with the leader.
The 2026 Landscape: Research and Legislation
It’s gotten pretty weird lately. In May 2025, the "TDS Research Act" (H.R. 3432) was introduced in the House. It aimed to get the National Institutes of Health to actually study the "behavioral or psychological phenomenon" of intense reactions to Donald Trump.
The bill mentioned things like:
- Obsessive consumption of political news.
- Heightened anxiety or anger.
- Social withdrawal and broken family ties.
Whether you think that's a waste of taxpayer money or a necessary look at a divided country, it proves one thing: TDS has moved from a playground insult to a matter of federal discussion.
How to tell if you’re actually "Deranged" (or just informed)
There is a line between "rational concern" and "obsessive mania." It’s a blurry one. Krauthammer himself defined the syndrome as the inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology.
If you hate a tax bill because you think the math doesn't work? That’s just politics.
If you can’t sleep because you’re convinced the president is sending you secret messages through the weather report? That might be the "derangement" people are talking about.
Why this matters for your mental health
Politics in the 2020s is exhausting. Constant outrage cycles are designed to keep you clicking, watching, and—honestly—angry. This "outrage economy" is the fuel for what people call TDS. When you're constantly bombarded with "The End of Democracy" on one side and "The Destruction of America" on the other, your brain stays in a state of high cortisol.
It’s not just about who you vote for. It’s about how much of your peace of mind you're giving away to people who don't know your name.
Actionable Steps to Handle Political Burnout
If you feel like the political climate—or the "TDS" accusations—are getting to you, here’s how to step back without tuning out completely:
- Audit your "Id" Intake: Krauthammer once said Trump’s tweets were a "direct conduit from the unfiltered id." Today’s social media is the same. If an account only exists to make you angry, unfollow it for a week. See if your blood pressure drops.
- The "Merit Test": When you hear a policy proposal from a politician you dislike, try to find one tiny part of it that makes sense. If you can't even conceive of a reason why someone would support it, you might be drifting into the "derangement" zone.
- Set the "Dinner Table" Rule: Reclaim your personal relationships. If a friendship is dying because of a guy in Washington who doesn't know you exist, set a boundary. "I love you, but we aren't talking about the election today."
- Check the Source: Before you get outraged by a headline, look for the primary source. In 2026, deepfakes and AI-generated "rage-bait" are everywhere. Don't let a bot dictate your emotional state.
The term TDS is probably here to stay as long as the man it's named after is in the headlines. It’s a messy, polarizing, and often unfair label. But by understanding its history and the psychological tricks it plays on our brains, you can navigate the 2026 news cycle without actually losing your mind.