Trump Derangement Syndrome is no joke.
Thursday evening began the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the Packers. To kick off this much anticipated event, former Packers’ linebacker and legend Clay Matthews had a special message for the fans, supposedly from President Donald Trump.
“I just got off the phone with the president, Donald Trump. He asked me to pass a message along to all 32 NFL franchises,” he told the audience as he opened a piece of paper.
— FOLLOW @SMHIGHLIGHTS1 (@jehavuhejndhs) April 25, 2025
“It says, ‘My fellow Americans, the Bears still suck!’” Matthews yelled amidst cheers and roars of laughter.
Although anyone following politics could actually see President Donald Trump making a comment like this, it is clear that the president had nothing to do with it, and Matthews was just having a laugh at the expense of another franchise.
However, TDS sufferers who were also NFL fans could not overlook that, taking to social media platform X to vent of Matthews invocation of Trump.
One user wrote, “Trump literally ruins everything. Now even the NFL Draft.”
Another, echoing the same sentiment, complained, “Looking forward to the draft, but hearing Trump’s name was nauseating. He ruins everything.”
A third called Matthews, “a tool” for the joke, stating his joke was a “Common Packers L.”
One user astoundingly thought that the president had actually said this, writing, “Already bringing politics into the draft. Nobody cares what Trump says Clay Matthews.”
Matthew’s joke proves where the Overton Window has shifted.
A stunt like this five or ten years ago would have prompted a response from the NFL, with an announcement to fans about Matthew’s actions being “distasteful” or “not representative of the community of acceptance the NFL strives to foster.”
Now, most of us can have a good laugh and move on.
But those suffering from TDS still can’t quite find the humor in the moment.
It’s confusing how it caused anyone to be taken aback, as if they couldn’t believe anyone associated with the NFL would say the president’s name.
Trump attended several games during the election season and the Super Bowl in February.
He isn’t going to become the new commissioner, but for fans of the sport, they’ve seen him around.
Then again, suffering from TDS means one never quite gets accustomed to even hearing the name Trump.