A Note on "Trump Derangement Syndrome"
A Brief Meditation of Moral Witness
“Hysterical.” “Alarmist.” “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” “He’ll be constrained by institutions.” “There are adults in the room.” “You’re overreacting.” “The generals won’t let him.” “Stop being so dramatic.”
Every single person who said we were being hysterical about Trump being an existential threat should be forced to explain how the President seizing control of the capital’s police force and deploying military units to forcibly relocate citizens represents normal democratic governance.
They called us hysterical when we said he’d use the military against civilians. He’s literally doing it right now.
They called us alarmist when we said he’d seize control of law enforcement. He just placed D.C. police under the direct command of his Attorney General.
They called us deranged when we said he’d create fake emergencies to justify authoritarian power grabs. He’s invoking emergency powers while violent crime is at a 30-year low.
They said the institutions would hold. The institutions are being commandeered in real time.
They said the generals would refuse illegal orders. The National Guard is already deployed.
They said we were exaggerating the fascist threat. He’s literally declaring “Liberation Day” while seizing control of the capital.
Remember who told you this was hysteria.
They told you that those of us warning about fascism were being hysterical. Now the President has seized control of the capital’s police force, deployed military units against citizens, and announced forced relocations of undesirables—and these same voices are explaining why it’s not really that bad, why it’s technically legal, why we should wait and see how it plays out.
The “hysteria” was prophecy. The “alarmism” was accuracy. The “derangement” was simply seeing clearly what was coming while others chose comfortable blindness.
They’ll never admit they were wrong. They’ll just keep moving the goalposts. “Sure, he seized control of D.C. police, but it’s only for 30 days.” “Yes, he deployed the military, but it’s just the National Guard.” “Okay, he’s forcibly relocating citizens, but he says they’ll be given places to stay.”
This is how normalization works—through the reasonable voices who explain why each new outrage isn’t quite outrageous enough to justify the alarm we’re expressing.
We weren’t hysterical. We were right.
We weren’t alarmist. We were accurate.
We weren’t deranged. We were paying attention.
And now, as military units patrol the capital under presidential command, as police forces answer to the President’s personal authority, as citizens are forcibly relocated for the crime of poverty—now they want us to remain calm, to trust the process, to avoid inflammatory language.
No.
This is fascism. We told you it was coming. You called us hysterical. And now it’s here.
Remember who saw it clearly. Remember who denied it. And never, ever let them forget that when American democracy needed defenders, they chose to police the tone of those sounding the alarm rather than confront the threat itself.
The existential threat wasn’t rhetorical. It was real. It’s here. It’s happening.
And everyone who called us hysterical for warning about it is complicit in its arrival.
As a resident of the greater DC area who bikes into the capital once or twice a week, I can speak with strong anecdotal evidence in support of the data collected more systematically in the form of statistics. Crime is down to historical lows and DC is a relatively placid place to be these days, with obvious exceptions like any big city in the world.
Coincidentally, I did a long meandering bike ride into the city this weekend, pedaling slowly past the Capitol building a mile or so east to Lincoln Park and the Emancipation Memorial, taking my time to take it all in. People enjoying themselves in the temperate August afternoon. Walking their dogs. Talking. Lovely. On my way back toward the White House and Georgetown and the Capital Crescent trail, I stopped off briefly to listen to music at the Caribbean culture festival. People enjoying themselves, dancing, having a wonderful late afternoon.
Knowing of our President’s plan to declare a state of emergency based on transparently false information, I thought that maybe the kind of placid, carefree fun being had was part of the problem. If there was no real emergency, it was time to invent one, perhaps even to gin one up.
I wonder when we Americans will wake up to what’s happening.
Having just watched the press conference regarding DC, it seems this term is beginning to mean the opposite of its original meaning. There is some sort of strange reality there as exhibited in that press conference that is deeply troubling precisely because of how inclusive it is