How does he do it?

When you break it down, Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) does exhibit cult-like thinking. The first evidence, cognitive bias, mirrors the thought control seen in cults. Individuals with TDS often interpret everything Trump does through a negative lens regardless of the objective reality. This rigid, black-and-white thinking where Trump is always wrong and evil resembles the binary mindset cults instill toward outsiders. This is how you can get people to boo a child with cancer.

 
Emotional conditioning reflects emotional manipulation tactics. In cults, members are conditioned to feel immediate fear, anger, or disgust toward those deemed enemies. With TDS, a similar response occurs as constant outrage-driven media conditions a knee-jerk reaction of hatred or scorn at the mere mention of Trump’s name, bypassing rational assessment.

Identity politics encourages groupthink and conformity, another hallmark of cult psychology. In cults, members define themselves by their loyalty to the cause, viewing outsiders as morally corrupt. With TDS, opposition to Trump often becomes a core part of personal identity, making objectivity nearly impossible. Those who express even mild approval of Trump are often viewed as traitorous or morally compromised, reinforcing the insular mindset.

While TDS isn’t literally a cult, the psychological patterns of emotional reflex, black-and-white thinking, and identity-based group loyalty create a closed-loop mentality where facts no longer matter, only the emotional narrative does.