Trump Derangement Syndrome Goes Viral: Terminal Disease No Vaccine Can Cure

Mumbai: If you're an Indian salaried employee, the letters TDS trigger immediate heartburn. Tax Deducted at Source—the three most dreaded words after “we need to talk.” But fly westward across the Atlantic, and TDS has been diagnosed as something far more dangerous than a monthly nibble at your paycheck.

Behold, Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)—a "terminal disease," according to the man himself, that "destroys the mind before the body, but the body eventually goes.” Move over, COVID. We’ve got TDS now, and it's going viral. Satirical ads, medical diagnoses, and now legislative bills—yes, actual American lawmakers (with functioning titles and possibly non-functioning logic) have attempted to classify TDS as a mental illness. Symptoms include uncontrollable eye-rolling at press conferences, muttering “not again” during his rallies, and being able to pronounce “Zelensky” correctly. Some call it delusion. Others call it Tuesday.

What some perceive as extreme or irrational behaviour (delusion) has become so routine or expected that it's now just another ordinary day (Tuesday) But don’t worry, Trump’s critics aren’t just sitting in padded rooms muttering “covfefe.” They’ve fired back with their own acronyms. Welcome to the political alphabet soup that is America in 2025. First up: TACO, which sadly has nothing to do with guacamole and everything to do with Trump’s trademark indecisiveness. Coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong, TACO stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

Remember when he slammed China with terrifying tariffs and then quietly took it all back (almost) like a teenager deleting a rage-text? Or when he scolded Zelensky over rare minerals treaty only to sign the deal days later? That’s TACO in action: spicy threats, soft landings. Naturally, Trump’s not amused. “That’s a nasty question,” he barked at a reporter who dared to utter the T-word. “You call that chickening out? It’s called negotiation!” Sure, and FAFO stands for “Fabulous And Friendly Overture.”

Except it doesn’t. FAFO, in case you're new to the Trump Doctrine of Diplomacy, means "F*** Around, Find Out." And it's not just a tweet—it’s now a foreign policy stance. When Colombia pushed back on Trump’s deportation policies, he responded with an AI-generated fedora-wearing version of himself next to a glowing red FAFO sign. Then there’s MAHA—Make America Healthy Again.

This catchy remix of MAGA came after Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr.— the man who believes vaccines are basically plot twists—to be Health Secretary. And how could we forget DOGE—no, not the cryptocurrency, the Department of Government Efficiency, helmed (until last Wednesday) by Elon Musk. Yes, Trump made Doge real. They slashed government programs, fired half of Washington, and probably tried to put SpaceX rockets in traffic signals.

Efficiency, indeed. In this brave new world of acronyms-gone-rogue, even Trump’s family has entered the chat. Don Jr. declared “DEI (Diversity, equity and inclusion ) is DOA (Dead on Arrival),” trashing diversity programs with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer in a teacup. As for the opposition? They're clapping back with zingers like FFT—Farewell Forever Trump and MATA—Make America Trumpless Again. If you're feeling confused, exhausted, or mildly hysterical, you may be suffering from advancedstage TDS. Or maybe it’s just American politics.

news