Letter to the editor: What if Obama had built a ballroom?

OPINION:

I’ve considered the term Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) a clever and amusing attempt by President Trump supporters to deflect and diminish any harsh criticism of the commander in chief.

I understand that the late Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist and political commentator, coined the term Bush Derangement Syndrome during the President Bush administration in 2003.

Although I am not a professional in the field, certain recent events make me to wonder if TDS could, in fact, be an actual psychological disorder.

A classic example that seems to support that notion is the reaction to Mr. Trump’s plans to add a ballroom to the White House to accommodate larger numbers of people for important functions. What rational citizen would have objected if, during his presidency, President Barack Obama had proposed adding the exact same luxurious ballroom to the White House — also at no cost to taxpayers?

It isn’t difficult to imagine the praise and accolades that would be given to Mr. Obama for such a monumental and generous gift to our county.

So what’s not to like about President Trump’s proposed gift? Or Is this just another case of TDS?

DANIEL P. MCKIM

Springfield, Virginia