The term has long been used by Donald Trump himself as a way of hitting back at his critics
A handful of Republicans are wanting ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ to be classified as a mental illness.
The term “derangement syndrome” is used to describe extreme, often irrational, reactions to Donald Trump and his supporters. Although it has been a go-to phrase for Trump and his followers to counteract criticism, it is not recognized as an official mental illness—yet some Republicans are pushing for it to be.
The phrase first emerged in the early 2000s, coined by political commentator Charles Krauthammer, who used it to describe the intense backlash against then-President George W. Bush. Since then, it has become a tool in political discourse, often used to discredit vocal critics.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome” refers to what some see as an extreme, almost irrational, reaction to former President Donald Trump and his supporters. The term, not officially recognized as a mental illness, describes an acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal individuals, triggered by Trump’s policies and presidency. Symptoms, according to proponents, may include hysteria and an inability to differentiate between legitimate policy disagreements and perceived psychological issues with Trump’s behavior.
A group of Republicans, including Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin D. Eichorn, and Glenn H. Gruenhagen, have introduced a bill to officially recognize “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness. Known as Bill SF 2589, it was scheduled for a first reading with the Health and Human Services Committee on March 17.
Gruenhagen expressed his pride in supporting the bill, writing on Facebook that he was honored to co-author the legislation, which highlights the “outrageous, violent, and unreasonable” reactions toward a president who, in his view, “loves America and wants us to be prosperous, strong, safe, and great again.”
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) has strongly condemned the bill. Spokesperson Darwin Forsyth issued a statement saying, “This is why Minnesota Republicans have lost every statewide election in recent memory. Every time they have an opportunity to improve Minnesotans’ lives, they instead double down on an agenda that caters to their party’s most extreme right-wing activists.”
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy also voiced her opposition, calling the bill “possibly the worst in Minnesota history.” She added, “If it’s meant as a joke, it’s a waste of staff time and taxpayer resources that trivializes serious mental health issues. If the authors are serious, it is an affront to free speech and an expression of a dangerous level of loyalty to an authoritarian president.”
