Gerard Baker, editor-at-large for The Wall Street Journal, has articulated his escalating dissatisfaction with former President Donald Trump in a recent column, detailing a personal progression from "Trump disappointment syndrome" to a "full-blown case of Trump dismay syndrome."
Baker, who previously served as the newspaper's editor-in-chief from 2013 to 2018, stated in his column, headlined "Help—I Feel a Bad Case of TDS Coming On," that he has never before suffered from what is commonly termed "Trump derangement syndrome" by Trump and his supporters.
He acknowledged finding "much that is repellent in the man’s character and rhetoric" but explained that he had initially believed Trump's presidency was necessary. However, Baker reported that over the past year, his feelings have evolved.
Baker outlined several grievances with Trump's actions during his second term. Among the issues he cited were the president's "self-indulgent tariff fixation," his "insouciance about public finances," the conflict with Iran, and what Baker described as "grotesque self-enrichment."