The Trump Effect: Navigating Relationship Conflicts Amidst Political Chaos

One of the bizarre aspects since Donald Trump came on the political scene has been how the mere mention of his name elicits a diatribe even among family members who were formerly civil to one another. Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is very real. When people are in the throes of the syndrome, there is no escaping irrational behaviour mixed in with verbal epithets.

When Trump ran for President for the first time, friends of mine told me that when their daughter found out that they had voted for Trump, she refused to have anything to do with them. Gone was the love of a daughter for her parents; she saw them as traitors and part of the ultra-right. I have seen disparaging remarks in my own family and acquaintances when the name Trump comes up. There is no ability to use reason and discussion to iron out any differences about Trump. If you’re a MAGA person, he can do no wrong. If you suffer from TDS, there is absolutely nothing commendable about the man.

Families are being torn apart because of this man, Trump, who is about to take over the reins of the Presidency. Family members are going so far as to boycott individual members based on their political voting, or they simply lose touch for years. This is a psychosis.

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We even see people ceasing to interact at social clubs or golf clubs. One woman at a local golf course ceased conversing with a fellow competitor once she heard that the person was a Trump supporter. This is irrational and speaks to a deeper concern in our society: an inability to communicate.

As with all human interactions, communication is the key to successful relationships. Unfortunately, in the Trump era, communication has been so broken down that former rational human beings act quite irrationally. So, is there a way to mitigate the miscommunication?