Minnesota Republicans launch bid to officially classify ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ as a mental illness

The bill, scheduled for introduction in Minnesota Senate, seeks 'Trump derangement syndrome' to be added to the state's definition of mental illness
UPDATED MAR 18, 2025
Minnesota Republicans are set to propose a bill to classify 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' as a mental illness (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Minnesota Republicans are set to propose a bill to classify 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' as a mental illness (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA: A group of Minnesota Republican lawmakers is set to introduce legislation aiming to classify 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' (TDS) as a recognized mental illness under state law.

The bill is scheduled for introduction in the state Senate on Monday. 

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Proposed legislation describes TDS as 'acute paranoia' in otherwise normal persons 

The proposed legislation, according to Fox 9 authored by Senators Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin Eichorn, and Glenn H Gruenhagen, defines TDS as the "acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J Trump."

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing an executive order on expanding access to IVF at his Mar-a-Lago resort on February 18, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Later today Fox News will air a joint interview between President Trump and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing an executive order on expanding access to IVF at his Mar-a-Lago resort on February 18, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

"Symptoms may include Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J Trump's behavior," the proposal reads.

If approved, TDS could be included in the list of mental-health-related definitions in Minnesota. The "syndrome" is not recognized as an illness in any state in the US.

TDS bill proposal criticized by Minnesota Democrats

The bill's introduction has been met with swift criticism from Democratic circles.

"This is why Minnesota Republicans have lost every statewide election in recent memory — every time they get an opportunity to try to improve Minnesotans' lives, they instead double down on an agenda that caters to their party’s most extreme right-wing activists," a spokesperson for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer-Labor Party said, according to Star Tribune.

(Getty Images)
Despite its introduction, the bill faces an uncertain future in Minnesota's politically divided legislature, where Democrat-aligned parties hold a slim majority (Getty Images)

Despite its introduction, the bill faces an uncertain future in Minnesota's politically divided legislature, where Democrat-aligned parties hold a slim majority.

What is Trump Derangement Syndrome?

The term "Trump Derangement Syndrome" has been utilized by Trump and his supporters to describe opponents they perceive as irrationally hostile toward him and his policies.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 04: (AFP OUT) Former first lady Laura Bush and former President George W.
Former first lady Laura Bush and former President George W Bush greet President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump outside of Blair House December 4, 2018, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 

The phrase traces its origins to 2003 when political commentator Charles Krauthammer coined "Bush Derangement Syndrome" to characterize liberals' reactions to resident George W Bush.

Use of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' by Republicans 

Former Trump attorney Alina Habba in May 2024 told Fox News that the jury in Trump’s hush money trial should’ve been sequestered over Memorial Day weekend to avoid them coming down with TDS and “forgetting all sense of reality.”



 

In October, Trump dismissed his former chief of staff John Kelly accusing him of making "up a story out of pure Trump Derangement Syndrome" after he branded the president a fascist and made damning claims about his views of Adolf Hitler.



 

Last month, Elon Musk revived the term telling Sean Hannity on a Fox News interview that he used to be "adored by the left" until they were affected by TDS, comparing it to rabies.

“There’s this whole sort of, you know … they call it like Trump Derangement Syndrome. You don’t realize how real this is until, like — it’s like you can’t reason with people,” Musk said during the interview.



 

Musk described a personal experience recalling a birthday dinner in Los Angeles where a simple mention of Trump’s name triggered an intense reaction from others at the table.

“It was like they got shot with a dart in the jugular that contained, like, methamphetamine and rabies,” he quipped.

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