"Trump Derangement Syndrome": Republicans Demand Legally Recognized Diagnosis

Watson "Trump Derangement Syndrome": Republicans Demand Legally Recognized Diagnosis Nathalie Trappe 5 hours • 2 minutes read Donald Trump has been in the White House for almost exactly eight weeks. Since then, he has tightened border controls, imposed punitive tariffs on several countries (and lifted some of them), and caused a few escalations in the Ukraine war. Domestically, the situation is anything but easy, both in the US Senate and in the individual states. A new poll by the US broadcaster CNN recently showed that the Democrats have apparently done so little to counter Trump's excesses that they are at their lowest poll rating ever. Republicans are celebrating these and other supposed victories with great enthusiasm. Now, with a new draft, they are planning the next shot at their party opponents. According to a draft by five US Republicans from Minnesota, they are calling for the so-called "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) to be officially recognized as a mental illness in the United States. "Trump Derangement Syndrome": Republicans Demand Legislation While some may now be thinking of the questionable state of Donald Trump's own mental health, it is actually about the exact opposite. The proposal, which was seen by the "Independent" among others, defines TDS as an "acute outbreak of paranoia" as a result of Trump's presidency. The term has been circulating in the US since his first term and is used by conservative politicians and journalists to defame US Democrats. The definition originally goes back to "Bush Derangement Syndrome," which was coined in the early 2000s in reference to the former US president. According to its founder, US columnist Charles Krauthammer, this refers to the "inability to distinguish between legitimate political differences and signs of mental pathology" in the president's behavior. The Minnesota bill now states that TDS could also escalate into intense verbal hostility toward Trump and "overt acts of aggression and violence" against supporters. Back in February, the White House press secretary noted on X that TDS was the reason for the US Democrats' resistance to Donald Trump's policies. "They can't stand the fact that we finally have a president who actually keeps his promises," she wrote. As usual, she ignores the fact that Trump has so far failed to fulfill many of his campaign promises – namely, ending the war in Ukraine and lowering electricity and food prices. Democrats criticize demand for mental illness in the US Many US Democrats, however, are strongly critical of the Republicans' demand. They clarify that TDS is not an actual mental illness, but merely a political term used to suppress criticism of the president. Many also criticize that such a classification of TDS would also encourage the trivialization of mental illnesses in general. For TDS to be legally recognized, the bill must first be approved by the Minnesota Health Committee before being presented to the Senate. However, the bill would likely not survive a vote there. The US Democrats hold a narrow majority in the upper chamber, and the balance is even in the House of Representatives.