Is Trump Derangement Syndrome a real illness? Here's why 5 Minnesota lawmakers think it is

Washington D.C.: Republican lawmakers in Minnesota are set to introduce a controversial bill that seeks to officially classify 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' (TDS) as a mental illness.

The legislation, proposed by five GOP state senators, defines TDS as the “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons” triggered by the policies and presidency of Donald Trump.

Symptoms reportedly include 'Trump-induced general hysteria', where individuals allegedly struggle to differentiate between legitimate policy critiques and irrational hostility, often expressed through verbal or physical aggression toward Trump and his supporters.

The bill, authored by Senators Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin Eichorn, and Glenn H. Gruenhagen, will be presented to the Health and Human Services committee on Monday. If passed, TDS would join Minnesota’s list of mental health definitions, though it is not recognized as a legitimate condition in any other US state. However, the bill’s approval is unlikely, as Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the state senate.

Democrats have criticized the proposal as a distraction from pressing issues. A spokesperson for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party called it a reflection of the GOP’s focus on extreme right-wing activism rather than improving Minnesotans’ lives.

The term 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' originated during Trump’s first term as a pejorative to dismiss criticism of him as irrational liberal hysteria. It echoes the earlier concept of 'Bush Derangement Syndrome', coined in 2003 by political commentator Charles Krauthammer to describe critics of George W Bush.