In the past we’ve seen “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), by most Democrats, many Republicans, and a fair number of libertarian (or at least libertarian-leaning) types. But now perhaps we have a new, more virulent version: call it Trump Defiance Disorder (TDD).

Symptoms? “If The Donald is for it, I’m against it.”  No matter whose idea it was before, if Trump 2.0 speaks favorably about something, dozens of politicians and celebrities and certainly anyone with a Regressive political point of view will bend our ears and fry our eyes with the reasons why this is more evil (eeeviiilll!) than anything since, oh, at least Adolf Hitler. If not Kaiser Bill or Robert E. Lee.

This anti-MAGA madness is not just limited to the Regressives, of course. There are many in public office who are labeled Republicans and some who used to be called blue-dog Democrats. And a good many sitting judges and upper- and mid-level bureaucrats. (The implications of DOGE have no doubt swelled their numbers.) And some political libertarians also suffer TDS or TDD.

And it is also rife at the local level, as this example from SW Colorado shows:

LGBTQ and BLM Flags in Classrooms: It is reported that, “The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education is moving forward with two resolutions supporting the display of Progress Pride and Black Lives Matter flags in classrooms.” This illustrates the inherent politicization within public schools of decisions that, in a market, would be up to individual schools.

What in the world? I know, let us have Durango schools display Nazi flags and Communist flags, too.

But seriously:

It would be an interesting experiment, to come up with a list of things that The Donald could promote as he exercises his dictatorial muscles and tears down “our democracy.” And what might happen:

1. Perhaps if he comes all out and says we ought to think about moving troops and nuclear weapons into the Ukraine? Or tripling our giveaways of money and weapons and ammo? Almost certainly 99% of Democrats in Congress would vote to end all funding. And with the support of anti-Ukraine war Republicans, it might pass – and The Donald could say, “Yup, I’ve seen the light in the east and won’t veto it.”
2. Maybe he could say (or hint) something like, “all those rich leftists in Los Angeles (and now San Diego) deserve to have those two- and ten- million dollar houses burn.” And voila! Blue States (including California) would go ape getting together the 280 billion dollars to rebuild Tinseltown’s residential areas! At no direct expense to the Blue State and Purple State taxpayers (now and future). Except for seeing the price of watching a movie or a Broadway show go up – a bit more than usual.
3. If he said he’s willing to give So Cal and Arizona and New Mexico back to Mexico (maybe in exchange for Canada and Panama – a win-win?), Congress would rise up and instead annex not just Canada and Panama but also Sonora and Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon. Just to spite The Donald.
4. If… well, you get the point.

It isn’t just Trump-haters and never-Trumpers that are exhibiting significant signs of irrationality, now that we are a whole month into Trump 2.0 time.

One of the latest examples – found in sitting federal judges and many commentators and politicians – is the demonization of The Donald’s huge number of executive orders. While Uncle Joe was applauded for his many imperial decrees, The Donald is castigated for his blizzard of E.O.s. And indeed, every one of those seems to be decried as being one more bullet into the corpse of democracy.

(We here at TPOL are greatly opposed to the entire concept of Executive Orders which do NOT apply only to employees of the Executive Branch of the FedGov.)

The one on birthright citizenship is a key point. We have been told by hundreds of professors, lawyers, judges, “concerned persons” and even businesses that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship as it has been defined for the few decades – and claimed before. Although we are engineers and management analysts here at TPOL, we cannot read that into that article. There are nuances, but when you look at what was proposed, what was debated, and what was done for a century, border jumpers are no more automatically US citizens any more than a legitimate representative of another nation or a tourist – or a violent armed invader. They are not under jurisdiction of a State or the FedGov. And consider the status (prior to 1923) of people enrolled (and therefore not taxed) in AmerInd tribes.

Again, the knee-jerk reaction towards an action of the current occupant of 1600 PA shows that the madness is rife. And not just among the hoi poi or the indoctinated regressive like “Bernie Bros” and other so-called Progressives. It could be a serious public mental health problem.