Despite campaigning as a populist changemaker, Trump has proven to be a severe disappointment. He is evidently becoming unhinged. Despite his betrayal, many, not all, but many, of his fervent supporters are adamant that he is doing an impeccable job. If there is Trump Derangement Syndrome, there is Trump Worship Syndrome, as following a disgusting and vile post on the homicide of Rob Reiner and his wife, some in the MAGA movement have tried to defend Trump’s rhetoric.[i] Trump’s post on Reiner is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his mental unraveling. From his insistence that the economy is swell, push for war with Iran and Greenland, expelling Marjorie Taylor Greene from the GOP, his rambling about his supreme cognitive abilities, Trump is not just untethered from reality, he is betraying his pledge to fight for the forgotten men and women of America. He fights only for himself. His egoism knows no bounds.
In an incoherent, superlative riddled post on Truth Social about ‘acing’ a physical and cognitive exam, Trump claimed that the New York Times was committing treason and sedition by reporting that he was in mental decline.[ii] While it is true that outlets like NYT reporting on the president’s mental decline is suspect, given their silence on the state of Joe Biden, it is also true that Trump is not mentally stable, despite his claim during his first presidency that he is “a very stable genius”[iii] Being a madman, erratic and unpredictable, is sometimes noted as an advantage, especially when dealing with adversaries like China and North Korea, however, his evident decline is aggravating his worst character flaws, namely his penchant for petty vengeance and demands for undying, full throated loyalty to him personally, not to a higher set of principles or ideas. His tirade against Greene, leading her to resign from Congress, is the latest in his acts of petty revenge. His ire for Greene continues, as in response to her 6o Minutes interview, in which she criticized him, and argued that the MAGA movement is separate from the America First ideology that she adheres to, he ranted that she is a traitor and does not represent MAGA.[iv]
Pushing Greene out is one of many Trump’s catastrophic moves, and it illustrates his egoism and pettiness. It is not a mistake; it is how he functions. His opponents may be depraved, but so is Trump. He is not a contrast to those in the illiberal liberal class who clutch their pearls, aghast at his gross rhetoric and inhumane policies, he is a different type of despot from Obama, Clinton, Bush, and Reagan. According to a piece by Vanity Fair, his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles he has “an alcoholics personality”[v] This may be true, but what is clear is that in his old age, Trump’s worst and most destructive character flaws are taking over.
Contrary to what many in the illiberal class argue about Trump’s behavior in his first term, where there were the supposed “adults in the room” to reign him in and temper his chaotic governing style, Trump was stopped from doing many things he promised to do initially, like pull troops out of Europe and the Middle East, or withdraw from NATO. His actual worst instincts, which mirrored the illiberal liberal class, were unimpeded and the only complaint was his manner and inability to keep quiet about the reality of how empire operates. Bereft of the populist energy and promises fulfilled, which despite the hindrance from the adults in the room, he did manage to get a few important policy wins through, like his withdrawal from the TPP and renegotiation of NAFTA, all that’s left is a globalist oligarch with no morals.
Trump’s mental health has been a hot topic since he started his run for president in 2015. This escalated when he became president in 2017, and the psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee, together with an ensemble cast of experts including Robert Jay Lifton and Gail Sheehy, published a book exploring the mental instability of Trump, and how he represents a unique, dire threat to the American republic because of his insanity.[vi] A problem with Lee et. al.’s arguments are that most of them also apply to previous American leaders and officials. The ice cold, psychotic likes of the Clintons, the Bush’s, the Obamas, and officials like Antony Blinken, Mike Pompeo, Avril Haines, or Michael Hayden are presumably not alarming. Trump’s evident instability is. An issue with the argument by people like Lee, as well as numerous others who give what are ultimately armchair diagnoses of Trump is that they focus on the pathologies of Trump, and omit or ignore the pathologies that paved the way for Trump, as well as the pathologies of the leaders who they undoubtedly venerate as pinnacles of American leadership and morality. When they do refer to the various pathologies that pervade the US and the West that are the breeding ground for figures like Trump, they avoid a systemic or foundational argument and instead assert that before Trump, the system was working, orderly, and civil, and it is Trump who has broken and malformed it. Here I am talking about the experts in the illiberal liberal class, like Lee and her co-authors, not the many writers and commentators who do blame the system that caused Trump. There is a truth to the many essays describing the ludicrous and toxic behavior of Trump, but there is also an underlying assumption, that not only is Trump dangerous, but daring to challenge the beloved norms and vales of the liberal world order and US hegemony is dangerous. It is true that Trump is guilty of much of what they say he is, but it is also true that their alternative, inevitably a figure like Obama or Clinton, is no better, and in many ways, is far worse, as Obama may be sane and saintly in their eyes, but he is as narcissistic and power hungry as Trump, as were those in his regime. The worst of his policies were incredibly destructive and psychopathic. For example, recall Clinton’s description of the US led invasion of Libya, “We came, we saw, he died.”, coupled with a maniacal laugh.[vii] Such inhumanity is not seen as what it is, reptilian and depraved.
However, it is also true that Trump’s movement is cultish and slavish in their subordination to him. I have discussed at length in recent essays the betrayal of America First by Trump, and the unwillingness of much of his supporters to call this out and risk exile from MAGA. The fate of Greene and the war against Thomas Massie are prime evidence that if you cross Trump, even if you are sticking to his professed ideals, you are a RINO, a Panican, or a goober, in the eyes of the Trump regime’s followers. Since Trump’s rise to power, there is a pathology known as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), which is based on Charles Krauthammer’s diagnosis of the most ardent opponents of the Bush regime, that they were suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS).[viii] We saw similar accusations made about Obama during his presidency.[ix] While it is true that the illiberal liberal class, in their fury and hatred of Trump, criticize him for mundane acts, or even acts that they themselves are guilty of, from corruption to warmongering, it is also true that criticisms of Trump, even from conservatives, are seen as proof of TDS, not legitimate disagreements. For example, in a debate hosted by the late Charlie Kirk between libertarian Dave Smith and commentator Josh Hammer, instead of arguing why Smith’s call for Trump to be impeached after his strikes on Iranian nuclear sites was wrong and making a substantive case, he proceeded to read out a set of tweets that Smith put out lambasting Trump for various policies.[x] He whined that Smith, despite advocating for Trump in the 2024 election and voting for him, went on to harshly condemn Trump when he enacted policies that Smith is against.[xi]
This loyalty and puritanism extend beyond Trump as well. The now former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who long endorsed the theory that the Epstein files, when released, would expose the entire political class and the extent of their depravity, resigned and has announced his return to podcasting.[xii] However, he has blown all his credibility. He failed to take down the deep state. After years of railing against it and declaring what needs to be done to eradicate it, he entered the Trump regime and, just like Trump himself, instantly morphed into a swamp creature, toeing the line and doing nothing to upset the established order. Upon his return to commentating, he declared a war against the “black pillers”, and on a recent podcast appearance, he said that black pillers are just “complaining all the time”, and that “Debating policies are fine. But the black pill complaining and whining all the time about the administration, it’s just like, ‘man, what team are you on?’”[xiii] This reveals the crux of the issue. Bongino is person/team first, not policy/idea first, just like Trump and his cronies. There is much to criticize in Bongino’s and Trump’s performance, and yet, they want to brush this off and pretend that the right must coalesce around Trump and submit to him, even if they are not satisfied with what he is doing as president. TDS is thus nothing more than a pejorative intended to stifle debate over Trump’s actions, and similarly, the illiberal liberal class emphasizes the pathologies of Trump and his movement while downplaying or ignoring those of their leaders, or at least not seeing them as pathological. Their accusations of mental illness are intended to treat certain ideas as hysterical and as evidence of insanity, not legitimate gripes. If the opponents of the illiberal liberal class are insane and require deprogramming or rehabilitation, then there is no need to wonder if they had a role in molding the conditions for Trump’s rise, and his continued popularity. Likewise, many in MAGA can shut down critical thinking and reflection by declaring criticism of Trump as evidence of TDS. Laura Loomer, Trump’s watchdog who monitors the loyalty of the members of the Trump regime, has overseen the ouster of people she deems not servile enough to him.[xiv] Loomer is the high priestess of Trump Worship Syndrome. It is as dangerous as the worst excesses of Trump Derangement Syndrome are. Importantly, both miss the root cause of Trump. Trump Worship Syndrome excuses Trump’s betrayal of his promise to America’s forgotten men and women, and Trump Derangement Syndrome excuses the failures that led to Trump’s rise. Both make Trump the centerpiece, a protagonist or an antagonist, when he is just a prop in a grander scheme. Both distract from who the real antagonists are. So long as Trump Derangement and Trump Worship Syndrome are endemic, instability will continue to corrode the West.
[i] Donald Trump, “Truth Social on Rob Reiner,” Truth Social, accessed January 22, 2026, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115724141568860081.
[ii] Chad de Guzman, “Trump Calls Reports on His Health ‘Seditious’ | TIME,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://time.com/7339756/trump-age-health-cognitive-test-new-york-times-treasonous-sedition/; Julia Manchester, “Donald Trump Says He ‘aced’ Third Cognitive Exam, Touts ‘Perfect’ Health,” Text, The Hill, January 2, 2026, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5669617-president-trump-health-cognitive/.
[iii]Daniella Diaz, “Trump: I’m a ‘Very Stable Genius’ | CNN Politics,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/06/politics/donald-trump-white-house-fitness-very-stable-genius.
[iv] Brett Samuels, “Donald Trump Lashes out at Marjorie Taylor Greene Following ‘60 Minutes’ Interview,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5638545-trump-greene-60-minutes-interview/.
[v] Chris Wipple, “Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the ‘Junkyard Dogs’: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2) | Vanity Fair,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOorab45ZfO-bQseyyoKrqz2dtOKqo5B7iCeLR7FI4uV51OXjuPZ6; Chris Wipple, “Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2) | Vanity Fair,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2.
[vi] Bandy X. Lee, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, First edition (World Mental Health Coalition, Inc, 2024).
[vii] CBS News, Clinton on Qaddafi: We Came, We Saw, He Died, 2011, 00:12, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DXDU48RHLU.
[viii] Charles Krauthammer, “Charles Krauthammer: Bush Derangement Syndrome Is Spreading,” Deseret News, December 7, 2003, https://www.deseret.com/2003/12/7/19799473/charles-krauthammer-bush-derangement-syndrome-is-spreading/.
[ix] David Horowitz, “Get over Obama Derangement Syndrome – POLITICO,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://www.politico.com/story/2008/12/get-over-obama-derangement-syndrome-016306; Ezra Klein, “Obama Derangement Syndrome,” Vox, February 23, 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8089639/obama-derangement-syndrome.
[x] Charlie Kirk et al., FULL Josh Hammer VS Dave Smith Debate on Israel, 2025, 01:19:58, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ng95XlQb4.
[xi] Charlie Kirk et al., FULL Josh Hammer VS Dave Smith Debate on Israel.
[xii] Kaelan Deese, “Bongino Makes Podcast Return in February amid War with ‘Black-Pillers,’” Washington Examiner, January 12, 2026, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4414568/bongino-podcast-return-february-amid-war-anti-trump-black-pillers/.
[xiii] Tal Axelrod, “Dan Bongino, Former FBI No. 2, Returns to Podcasting next Month,” Axios, January 12, 2026, https://www.axios.com/2026/01/12/bongino-podcast-resume; Mariane Angela, “Dan Bongino Rips Into Trump Admin’s Critics Amid Media Comeback,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/05/dan-bongino-trump-admin-critics/.
[xiv] Antonia Hitchens, “Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback | The New Yorker,” The New Yorker, November 10, 2025, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback; Maggie Haberman et al., “After Meeting With Laura Loomer, Trump Fires National Security Council Officials – The New York Times,” accessed January 22, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/us/politics/trump-meeting-laura-loomer.html.
References
Axelrod, Tal. “Dan Bongino, Former FBI No. 2, Returns to Podcasting next Month.” Axios, January 12, 2026. https://www.axios.com/2026/01/12/bongino-podcast-resume.
Brett Samuels. “Donald Trump Lashes out at Marjorie Taylor Greene Following ‘60 Minutes’ Interview.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5638545-trump-greene-60-minutes-interview/.
CBS News. Clinton on Qaddafi: We Came, We Saw, He Died. 2011. 00:12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DXDU48RHLU.
Chad de Guzman. “Trump Calls Reports on His Health ‘Seditious’ | TIME.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://time.com/7339756/trump-age-health-cognitive-test-new-york-times-treasonous-sedition/.
Charlie Kirk, Dave Smith, and Josh Hammer. FULL Josh Hammer VS Dave Smith Debate on Israel. 2025. 01:19:58. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ng95XlQb4.
Chris Wipple. “Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the ‘Junkyard Dogs’: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2) | Vanity Fair.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1?srsltid=AfmBOorab45ZfO-bQseyyoKrqz2dtOKqo5B7iCeLR7FI4uV51OXjuPZ6.
Chris Wipple. “Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2) | Vanity Fair.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2.
Daniella Diaz. “Trump: I’m a ‘Very Stable Genius’ | CNN Politics.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/06/politics/donald-trump-white-house-fitness-very-stable-genius.
David Horowitz. “Get over Obama Derangement Syndrome – POLITICO.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.politico.com/story/2008/12/get-over-obama-derangement-syndrome-016306.
Deese, Kaelan. “Bongino Makes Podcast Return in February amid War with ‘Black-Pillers.’” Washington Examiner, January 12, 2026. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/4414568/bongino-podcast-return-february-amid-war-anti-trump-black-pillers/.
Donald Trump. “Truth Social on Rob Reiner.” Truth Social. Accessed January 22, 2026. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115724141568860081.
Hitchens, Antonia. “Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback | The New Yorker.” The New Yorker, November 10, 2025. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback.
Klein, Ezra. “Obama Derangement Syndrome.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8089639/obama-derangement-syndrome.
Krauthammer, Charles. “Charles Krauthammer: Bush Derangement Syndrome Is Spreading.” Deseret News, December 7, 2003. https://www.deseret.com/2003/12/7/19799473/charles-krauthammer-bush-derangement-syndrome-is-spreading/.
Lee, Bandy X. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. First edition. World Mental Health Coalition, Inc, 2024.
Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, and Ken Basinger. “After Meeting With Laura Loomer, Trump Fires National Security Council Officials – The New York Times.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/us/politics/trump-meeting-laura-loomer.html.
Manchester, Julia. “Donald Trump Says He ‘aced’ Third Cognitive Exam, Touts ‘Perfect’ Health.” Text. The Hill, January 2, 2026. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5669617-president-trump-health-cognitive/.
Mariane Angela. “Dan Bongino Rips Into Trump Admin’s Critics Amid Media Comeback.” Accessed January 22, 2026. https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/05/dan-bongino-trump-admin-critics/.
Not Without Incident: Questioning Big Brother's Platitudes 
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