Now, this guy is in NYC... but still.
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert says that 75% of the patients he sees have a deep hatred for Trump and are "hyper fixated" on him.
"They can't sleep, they feel traumatized by Mr. Trump."
"I had one patient who said she couldn't enjoy a vacation because anytime she saw Trump in the news or on her device, she felt triggered."
"So this is a profound pathology, and I would even go so far as to call it the defining pathology of our time."
Now most people when they talk about Trump or TDS focus on the man. Yeah, he's unique but the response is also unique. No other figure has recieved the attention of this man. People are under a spell it seems to me. But I think it points to a deeper issue.
This response to Trump is really because these people view him as a threat to their religion. The state. They are watching a man dishonor and shame their god. That description might be to strong for you but if it is, let's just use the term "world view". The state is so central to their lives that they are deeply threatened by someone they are being told is a threat to everything they believe in.
Most men would dial it back if they faced this pressure but Trump is different. I don't think he feels emotions the way most of us do. I'm convinced he's on the spectrum. I am not qualified to diagnose him but he's not average. He seems to lack shame. And that for a politician is a super power.
One of the more interesting things about TDS to me is that I never hear anyone say that maybe the office of the President should not have so much power. That maybe if this is all so terrible there is a critical flaw in this system we must save from him. To me, this seems obvious. And that line of thinking many years ago is what led me to realize that statism is the real issue.
But back to the psychology. I see Trump as a mirror of society. What people hate about him is actually a reflection of their own flaws. Those that love him are seeing their champion, fighting for their own personal vision for their future.
It is all sad and I think more about us than Trump. He could go away tomorrow and maybe people would feel better for a while but their issues would remain. These demons need to be exercised from us. We seemed to be possesed by politics and the worship of the state.