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Trump Fatigue Syndrome: Is There a Cure?
I’m tired. And I take full responsibility for my condition. I’m not here to blame Donald Trump for my difficulties. I also think I’m not alone, and I care a great deal for all the people who are in the same dire straits. My biggest concern is that Donald Trump’s prospects for 2020 could be at risk. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, let me explain how I arrived at this point. I’m one of those many people who was not a Trump supporter at the beginning, but I came on board early as I saw his many accomplishments: tax cuts, great economy, Supreme Court justices, cuts in regulations, demands that the Europeans pony up for NATO—and the list goes on.
But as I was on my morning walk, I realized I wasn’t alone. In fact, I’m a suburban woman—one of those females who is beginning to pull away. I know that Trump will need every vote he can get. I know he has every reason to attack the media. I realize that he’s a fighter and when he sees people do stupid things, he feels obligated to call them out. I get it.
But I’m tired of it.
I think that Trump Fatigue Syndrome is a kind of burn-out, the condition that describes people who feel they have to abandon their jobs because the life has gone out of them. Leaving their jobs, however, is not the answer. Burn-out is not about the job, but about unrealistic expectations for what the job can offer, or what they can offer to the job. For example, people who work in hospice sometimes burn-out. The reasons go beyond their watching people die (although that can be a factor); instead, they often feel they are not providing enough comfort to these people–that they aren’t doing enough. That they have no power to change their patients’ circumstances. They feel helpless.
I know my TFS comes from my frustration at watching Trump exaggerate, attack others, write outrageous tweets. I know he likely will not stop. But I know a part of me wishes he would. Nothing I do—nothing those other suburban women do—will change those behaviors. But I think we’re feeling tired of it.
For the record, I think I’m a pretty tough woman—not soldier quality, but realistic and resilient. But I’m tired of making excuses for Trump. I’m tired of trotting out all the many good things he’s done to compensate for his poor behavior. I know there’s a good man under the hyperbole and bluster, and even a reasonable man—I saw that man in his interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. I want to see more of that man. But I’m not optimistic. And I’m worried about whether those other suburban women will stick it out.
As a side note, I discussed this topic with my husband. He reminded me that a lot of Trump’s comments were intended to attack the swamp: the politicians, the media and any other related groups. Many of his supporters (including me to some degree) think they’ve deserved it. But in reflecting on the last several months, I wonder to what degree his ranting (following his election) has made any difference, except to put people on notice. Has it helped him attain any of his goals, as he suggests it has? Would he have accomplished as much without the negative rhetoric? My husband suggests that at this point, even if he wanted to change, his ranting and tweets are just bad habits. (After all, he’s in his 70s.) But then I asked, doesn’t he want to be re-elected? And my husband responded, “Does he?” This comment made me stop and think.
So I’m tired. Do you have any suggestions for me to realize a cure for what ails me? Is there a way to reach suburban women without a major change from Trump? I think there may be more than my feelings at stake.
Published in Politics
The cure is to not get so invested in him in the first place. I’m glad the other person didn’t get elected. I haven’t been happy with many of the things he has not done, such as his recent moves to increase corporate welfare. I wish Congress had clawed back some of the powers that he has exercised. I’ll vote for him in 2020, although if there is a good challenger in the primaries along the lines of Ted Cruz, I’ll most likely vote for that person. If the choice is Trump or bush [lower case ‘cuz it’s a generic term] I’ll vote for Trump. In other words, nothing has changed for me. And I’m an old guy who fatigues easily, but I didn’t have energy enough to get overly excited about him in the first place. I do find it a continuing source of joy to mock the haters, though.
One thing that makes me tired is the constant media harangue. I see the man (Trump) doing nearly all things I want my President to do. And then I see the “Resistance”, which we know is not just the other political party, but nearly 90% of a news media that does not even try to actually report untarnished facts. All I can do is shake my head and sigh. They are relentless. I honestly do not know how the President maintains any composure at all. So @susanquinn, do you believe that if Trump stopped tweeting immediately and forever, would the opposition lighten up? I do not think so. It could very well be that 2016 was a one off election. If that is the case, I have very little hope for the direction of our country. And if he loses, it won’t just be the Democrats, but also a large contingent of his so called fellow Republicans who never wanted to win in the first place. Trump is surrounded. All we can do is have his back.
TFS is real. I agree that many people will vote for the Dem. candidate just to end the daily Trump-a-thon held by the MSM. Trump is everywhere and he invades every conversation and every issue and every relationship. It really is too much. As Lawrence O’Donnell said, “Stop The Hammering!!” (language alert on the link)
Yes, @thereticulator, I think much as you do. I think a big part of my problem is that I’ve fallen into the mindset that the Presidency deserves just a bit more decorum. More than my own reaction, I really am concerned that women will give up on him. Avid Trump supporters can tell them (and me) to get a life, but ultimately the votes will matter. I turned 69 today and should be able to show more discipline toward my own thinking! Or not . . .
Happy Birthday, Susan.
Very good points, @cdor. No, I don’t expect the media to stop frothing at the mouth. And I don’t think they began to act that way because of anything Trump has said. All that said, how does he or his future voters benefit by his ranting at this point? I expect he gets satisfaction from what he says, but I think the glow is beginning to dim. I will vote for him if he’s the only Republican, but he’ll need more than my vote.
Woo hoo! That was worth the price of admission! Are you teasing me, @dong, about Trump, or are you sincere. (I’m so literal sometimes that I miss when people are teasing me.)
I’ve long been tired of it all, both Trump himself, and everyone else talking about Trump, arguing about Trump, casting judgement on each other based on their perceived enthusiasm (on the right) or hatred (on the left) for Trump. It’s extremely tiresome, and accomplished nothing. If he gets the nomination in 2020, I’ll still vote for him because I’m guessing the Left will nominate someone completely bonkers, or Hillary one more damned time. If Trump is primaried, I’m withholding judgement to see who challenged him, how they do so, and most importantly why (if, for instance, Jeff Flake, or Kasich, to heck with them). In the meantime, I’ve got a life to live.
Basically, I just don’t listen to anything he says. I do keep track of what he does. I like probably 60+% of what he does. Maybe that’s about the best you can hope for in any president.
Life is easier if I concentrate on the 60% and tune out the foofaraw.
My dear @skipsul, I hope I’ve validated your tiredness and not added to it with my post! The one thing that could help him is for them to put up a nutcase, which they may very well do, but I hate to count on it.
Very well written and reasoned.
I think the problem is that you feel honor bound to read the daily stories about him because of your writing. You are following him much more closely than I am.
I see him as eccentric and as a very positive force for good in the country. Driving around Cape Cod, I think of him often because the economy here is really strong for the first time in many years. There are contractors’ trucks everywhere I look. It’s wonderful to see so many home improvement projects underway. I will say “God bless Donald Trump” this Thanksgiving.
He is who he is. I ignore the daily stories and hope he is reelected in 2020. If he’s not, it’s because people are so busy enjoying the benefits of his staff’s deregulating industries that they forget to vote. And I love the fact that for these years he’s in office, I don’t have to worry that the president is saying bad things about my country to foreign audiences.
And then there’s this–28 seconds of the truth:
Bless you, @marcin!! I feel better already! You’ve helped me work at re-framing who he is and what he does. I’m going to print off your comments and tape it to my desk–seriously! Thank you.
I understand the fatigue, but it is less with the president, and more with the constant barrage of hit pieces in the news and in the socials. I have scaled back my usage of socials because it is painful. I am hoping that will help with the fatigue.
High praise, @garyrobbins. Thank you.
Well, you are partially right, @nohaaj. I left Facebook years ago and don’t use any other kind of social media. I stick with email. But you’ve made me think that some of my fatigue might be misplaced. I think maybe it’s the insane spewings of the media and politicians that are really at fault. And I’ve no doubt they’d be ranting even if Trump toned it back. Interesting to consider.
Oh, you’ve definitely validated it and not added to it.
And if they put up Hillary again, I get to collect on a bet.
It is probably much more effective than my periodic TDS rants.
Good luck! and it would be a bonus for all of us!
Excellent post Susan. Anyone who spends their time only doing one thing will burn out on that one thing. Politics is all consuming and I am guilty as the next person on being too invested. It’s usually the first thing I read in the morning and often the thing I fall asleep to.
My guess is now the election is over, many of us will spend time on other neglected areas of our lives which is the healthy thing to do. Our politics isn’t good for us. It’s destructive and personal, no matter what your perspective.
We all have friends who have taken breaks or even sabbaticals. I envy them.
TFS is sort of like second-hand TDS. I think you need to eradicate TDS before you can cure TFS.
Hey @drewinwisconsin, I almost misread that. You mean, we have to eradicate their TDS (not mine) before I can cure my TFS. Sadly, you are probably right. Darn.
One of the reasons we get this fatigue is because everywhere you turn someone is screaming incoherently about the President.
Your fatigue may not be with the President himself, but with the unhinged, deranged, overreactions of his detractors.
Take them out of the equation. Are you still fatigued?
I don’t have Trump Fatigue Syndrome so much as I have Trump Derangement Syndrome Fatigue Syndrome.
Well, I am not all that thrilled with some of his off the cuff twitter stuff from the president, but then I only know of his tweets because of the ubiquitous media blather about them and their screaming how offensive they are, etc., ad nauseum. I do think at least some of it is deliberate, done just to keep the media off balance and ranting while the real work goes on.
I am delighted with much of his policy agenda, and hope that he will find a way to build that wall and reform the process of immigration to a merit-based system that will benefit the country in the long run, unlike the mess that has developed over the past 30 years.
I also have to admire the stamina of the guy who apparently outworks everyone around him. His career in real estate and entertainment has molded him into a decision-maker, which what an executive must be, like it or not, and he makes lots of decisions, most of which have been pretty good ones.
In my view, we are facing a major grudge match against Trump, not just from the ever bitter Hillary and the odious Obamas, but a fight between believers in ordered liberty and the rule of law, and those who can’t or won’t distinguish between legal and illegal . . . such as legal immigration vs illegal immigration, between legal votes and illegal votes . . . or even between male and female (vive la difference!).
Whether I agree on any particular policy or comment is of extremely minor importance compared to the threat from those whose views and actions seem designed, intentionally or not, to subvert the constitutional republic and its institutions. Very dangerous.
Indeed. A fine way to contrast the differences, @fritz. It’s all very disturbing. Thanks for your comment.
I don’t have Trump Fatigue Syndrome. President Trump would not find it necessary to tweet and scold if our news sources were honest, and our NEVER TRUMPERS shut the H— up. He battles nearly 24/7 against negativity! Frankly, I am sick to death of the negative. He has positively done more for this country in 2 years than any other official or president has done in the last 80. Those naysayers and haters have absolutely no gratitude for his accomplishments. There isn’t a single one of you who complain about him that could do 1/10th as well. Most of you hate him because you cannot control him, he cannot be bought, he cannot be bribed, he is so rich he can give his salary away. What he is doing for this country is not because he is being paid, nor involved in criminal activity. Hillary and her husband belong in jail, along with Obama and his wife, and their cabinets. As well as most of the heads of the CIA, FBI and DOJ. He is doing his darnest to undo the damage to our country and you ingrates cannot even see it. I’ve lived a long time and I pray for his well being when I go to bed at night, and “I love when I wake up in the morning and Donald Trump is President”.
@kayofmt, nobody can match you for your passion! Nobody! Just want to be sure you’re talking about the Never Trumpers and not me! I complain, but I’m still in his court. ;-)
Practically speaking, there is little that any of us can do to influence either the President or the outcome in 2020. Keep your head, avoid descending into the maelstrom of uncivil discourse, stick to the positives you identified in your second paragraph, and hope for the best.
I find it helpful to ignore most social media (including all Twitter; I detest Twitter), and to focus on the silent middle of America, the majority who aren’t crazy.
Also, I try not to run out of bourbon.
@susanquinn, I think you might find some solace in this:
From a delightful little book I just discovered; Happiness and Other Small Things of Absolute Importance, by Haim Shapira
“There once was a king who was wise, generous and humble. One day he asked his court philosophers to find him the world’s wisest sentence – one whose words would be so wise that it could match every situation, make you happy when you’re sad, and sadden you a little when you’re too happy. The king wanted to have it engraved on his ring.
After contemplating this request for three days and nights, the sages returned with the following, very wise and most precise insight:
‘This too shall pass.’
The king had it engraved on his ring.”
I think there is a lot of wisdom in that little story, don’t you?
Good advice. Except I prefer rum for my mojitos. My concern is that we are missing a large swath of people in middle America who, for many reasons, don’t know what Trump is doing and only hear bad about him. And he doesn’t help himself when he can be quoted. Will they support him in the end? I know, I know, it’s not my problem. But it is the country’s problem.