As former President Donald Trump's one-time attorney and fixer Michael Cohen testifies as the star witness at the former president's Manhattan criminal trial, Republicans have gathered at the courthouse to support him — and in so doing, have highlighted a key point of Cohen's testimony, writer Amanda Marcotte argued for Salon.
In courthouse rants, delivered by people like Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, they've relentlessly attacked the court process — and in many cases attacked people Trump is prohibited from going after under his gag order, like Judge Juan Merchan's daughter.
Inside the courtroom, wrote Marcotte, Trump attorney Todd Blanche was attempting "a variation of the 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' defense. Anyone who has been political on social media has likely been subject to it: Some member of the MAGA tribe accusing a Trump critic of 'TDS,' short for this alleged syndrome.
"The insult is as self-refuting as it is popular, coming invariably from a Trump acolyte spewing unhinged and badly spelled conspiracy theories. Even the most embarrassing member of #Resistance Twitter seems even-keeled next to any random person pulled from a MAGA rally."
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The irony, she wrote, is that "Trump Derangement Syndrome" as a moniker would be better applied to the lawmakers outside the courthouse angrily rambling in his defense — which is exactly how Cohen himself describes his past allegiance to the former president.
"This contrast has been brought into full focus during Trump's trial. The two witnesses accused of being 'deranged' by Trump — Cohen and Stormy Daniels — told stories that are coherent and fit with the documentary evidence. Even their anger, which has been a focal point for Trump's defense, makes perfect sense.
"They're two people whose mistake was trusting Trump. He sent one to prison and subjected the other to traumatizing sex she didn't want. It would be weirder if they didn't hate him," wrote Marcotte.
"Meanwhile, the entourage that Trump has finally coaxed into coming out for him — almost exclusively Republican politicians who are hoping for a payoff in debasing themselves for Trump — all act exactly like the cult member Cohen described himself as once being. One gaggle of minions even wore matching outfits, as if begging for comparisons to a cult."
It's too soon to say whether the jury sees all of it this way, wrote Marcotte. But "from a political perspective, the whole situation has illuminated the veneer of desperate self-delusion behind every 'TDS' accusation made towards those who are sensible enough to loathe Trump. Insofar as Cohen has been 'deranged' by his association with Trump, it happened when he was in thrall to the man, committing crimes and telling lies on Trump's behalf.
"Everything since has been fallout from that initial poor decision to ever link his fate to Trump. It's a lesson other MAGA people should learn, but are too proud to accept."