It’s not the common cold or a disease recognised by any doctor, but a brand new, so-called ‘condition’ has entered the chat: Trump Derangement Syndrome.
The phrase has become a go-to insult online, often used to dismiss intense criticism of Donald Trump by suggesting his opponents are reacting emotionally. In recent months, Trump has also leaned into it himself, repeatedly invoking it when prominent figures condemn him or his decisions as President.
A growing list of celebrities and public personalities have taken aim at Trump during his second term. In several cases, the 79-year-old has fired back in a familiar way, tying their comments to what he calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.
Commonly shortened to TDS, the term is political slang rather than anything clinical. It isn’t recognised by doctors and doesn’t appear in diagnostic manuals. Instead, it’s used in commentary to imply that some anti-Trump reactions are driven more by outrage than by reasoned critique.
While Trump didn’t coin the phrase, it has circulated in conservative media for years and is often linked to columnist Charles Krauthammer, who used it in 2010 to describe what he viewed as irrational opposition to Trump.
Even though it’s not a real medical diagnosis, Trump and his allies frequently accuse high-profile critics of “having TDS”. Here are some of the people Trump has targeted with the label.
The latest flashpoint involves The Irishman star Robert De Niro, who spoke at a No Kings protest in New York on March 28.
“When the crowds are chanting ‘no Kings’ what I am really hearing, as we all know, is ‘no Trump’,” he said.
“There have been other presidents that have tested the constitutional limits of their power but none have been such an existential threat to our freedoms and security, none except Trump.
“He must be stopped and he must be stopped now.”
De Niro has been openly critical of Trump for years, and his latest remarks added to a long-running stream of public condemnation since Trump returned for a second term.
Trump responded by mocking the actor and attaching the TDS label, calling him “Trump Deranged Robert De Niro” and framing the criticism as the product of a made-up “syndrome”.
‘HE'S DAMAGED’: Actor Robert De Niro responds to claims that he suffers from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” saying, “People don't like him [Trump] for a reason: of all the terrible things he's done… If he did nice things, people would love him, but he's got a problem." pic.twitter.com/MGWpaqvppG
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 2, 2026
De Niro has also been asked outright about the idea and has rejected it as baseless.
“People don’t like him for a reason,” the acting legend told Fox News. “All the terrible things he’s done. If he did nice things, then he could have — he had the chance — he became president — to do nice things, not hateful, retribution, not just outright mean things.”
Trump was also criticised over what some called a ‘disgusting and shameful’ tribute directed at Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, who were found dead at their Los Angeles home on December 14.
Reiner had previously been outspoken in his opposition to Trump.
Trump’s message on Truth Social began: “A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood.
He went on to take a final swipe at the When Harry Met Sally director, writing: “He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.”
Later that month, Trump continued the attack while speaking to reporters, describing Reiner as ‘very bad for our country’.
Another TDS-related moment came after a late-night host found his show suddenly cancelled following controversy tied to comments made after Charlie Kirk’s death.
Trump celebrated the decision online and used one of his most cutting takedowns to date.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” he wrote. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.
“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
Although Kimmel was said to be off the air ‘indefinitely’, ABC changed course and reinstated the show six days later.
Trump didn’t leave it there. During a phone-in appearance on Fox News’ The Five in March, he returned to Kimmel, again calling him ‘talentless’ and arguing he wouldn’t survive in a ratings-driven era.
“He’s got Trump Derangement syndrome,” Trump declared. “I mean, whatever I watch, I just can’t believe that he’s even on the air. He shouldn’t be on the air. You know, in the old days when you didn’t have good ratings, or you didn’t have any ratings, practically, you get fired. He should be canned.”
Trump has also been trading blows with the Born in the U.S.A. singer, Bruce Springsteen, after the musician continued to criticise him publicly.
Springsteen has used both concerts and new music to take aim at Trump and his administration. In January 2026, he released a protest track titled ‘Streets of Minneapolis’, which condemned parts of the administration’s immigration approach and was linked to the killings of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, who were shot and killed by U.S. federal immigration agents during a rise in enforcement activity in the city.
Posting on Truth Social on Thursday shortly after a primetime address about the war with Iran, Trump attacked Springsteen’s looks and claimed he had TDS.
“Bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS.
The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America.
Trump also urged supporters to stop buying tickets, adding: “Under Sleepy Joe and the Dems, our Country was DEAD, and now we have the “hottest” Country, by far, anywhere in the World.
“MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!! President DJT.”
Trump has even used the phrase when talking about former allies. After once appearing close, Trump and Elon Musk publicly fell out last year and exchanged barbs online.
Trump responded after Musk criticised his ‘big beautiful’ spending package, with Musk calling it a ‘pork-filled Congressional spending bill’ and a ‘disgusting abomination’. The comments landed shortly after Musk left his role as a special government employee leading DOGE.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office last July, Trump said the remarks caught him off guard.
“Elon and I have a great relationship,” he said. “I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised, because… we had a wonderful sendoff. He said wonderful things about me.”
He continued: “I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill. He never had a problem until right after he left.”
Trump then suggested a broader pattern among former staff, tying it directly to the insult.
“at some point they miss it so badly’ and ‘some of them actually get hostile. I don’t know what it is, it’s kind of Trump derangement syndrome,I guess they call it,’ he said.
He added: “They wake up in the morning, the glamor’s gone, the whole world feels different, and then they start acting hostile.”
He also argued Musk’s complaints were linked to policy changes affecting electric vehicles.
“Elon’s upset because we took away the EV mandate, which was a lot of money for electric vehicles. They’re struggling with the electric vehicles, and they want us to pay billions in subsidies. Elon knew that from the start.”
Months later, the tension appeared to thaw. In January, Trump, Melania Trump, and Musk reportedly had a ‘lovely dinner’ at Mar-a-Lago, fueling speculation that the relationship had stabilised.
One of Trump’s longest-running public clashes is with comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, who has consistently criticised him for years.
The feud traces back to 2006 when O’Donnell, then a co-host on The View, mocked Trump over his handling of the Miss USA pageant. The back-and-forth has continued for nearly two decades, with Trump repeatedly attacking her and O’Donnell remaining outspoken, including after relocating to Ireland.
