Trump Derangement Syndrome: Sincerity, Bulls**t, and the Death of Dialogue

Political philosopher Michael Bailey joins host Dale McConkey to unpack “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a window into America’s fractured political discourse. They begin with how shifting cultural guardrails have normalized dismissive rhetoric and redefined what counts as acceptable in public conversation, creating an environment where team loyalty often matters more than truth. From there, they explore why labels like TDS, “deep state,” “woke,” or “snowflake” shut down dialogue, trace their roots in a long tradition of demagoguery warned about by Aristotle, Cicero, and Hamilton, and turn to philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s book “On Bullshit” to show why sincerity has replaced accuracy in our politics. Along the way, they consider Trump’s outsized gravitational pull on national and global discourse, the postmodern crisis of authority, and how performative language manipulates impressions rather than clarifies facts. The episode closes with practical habits for resisting dismissive shorthand, asking better questions, and keeping alive the possibility of honest, nuanced conversation.

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