Trump Derangement Syndrome

Diogenes looking for an honest man.

What causes Trump Derangement Syndrome? The left declares every Republican candidate for the presidency to be worse than Hitler as a matter of course; but something more is going on with Trump, something that really looks like a mental illness—a disconnect from reality.

Some even say that Trump is able to, or should, use this to further his aims. If he declares himself in support of something, he can count on the left to oppose it. If he is for peace, they are for war. If he is for ending illegal immigration, they are for ending all border controls. He could put an end to all his opposition at a stroke, by saying he was against jumping off cliffs.

It is not as if Trump’s policies and positions are ideologically extreme. They are a mixed bag, mostly moderate. Ideological disagreement cannot account for this reaction.

What is maddening about Trump, what is past all bearing, is that he tells the truth.

The telltale proof is that the most common complaint against him is that he lies.

Trump does not lie. He exaggerates for effect. A lie requires intent to mislead.

Those who support him often support him because he regularly says plainly what he thinks: his unfiltered Tweeting, his bluntness, and his refusal to pay any heed to the demands of “political correctness.” We always know where he stands. That, and, increasingly, his honesty in genuinely attempting to fulfill his campaign promises.

Nothing is more alarming to a liar than a man who insists on telling the truth. They beheaded John the Baptist for it. They crucified Jesus for it. They persecuted all the prophets for it.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

A lot of people have done a lot of evil.