Minnesota lawmakers want to define “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness
Trump Derangement Syndrome bill in MN
The bill is set to be introduced on Monday by five Republican lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate. The bill proposes changing the state’s definition of mental illness to include specifically “Trump derangement syndrome”.
The bill defines the syndrome as “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump. 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.”
What they’re saying:
The Minnesota DFL issued a statement on Monday, responding to the statement. It reads:
“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.”
What’s next:
The proposal is unlikely to be approved in the split legislature. The bill is set to be introduced on Monday and referred to the Health and Human Services committee, according to online records.
The origin of Trump derangement syndrome
Dig deeper:
Currently, mental illness is defined as a disorder or other brain issue that is included in a diagnostic codes list.
While frequently used by supporters of President Donald Trump – and the president himself – in reference to perceived political opponents who they feel have a biased preoccupation with the president, Trump derangement syndrome is not a recognized mental diagnosis.
The “derangement syndrome” political phrase was actually coined in 2003 during the Bush administration by political commentator Charles Krauthammer about critics of President George W. Bush. The Minnesota bill borrows the exact phrasing Krauthammer used to describe “Bush derangement syndrome,” which reads: “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency—nay—the very existence of George W. Bush.”
