- Minnesota Republicans introduced a bill that both defines and qualifies “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness. The five lawmakers behind the bill described TDS as paranoia triggered by President Trump’s policies and behavior.
- The bill, unlikely to advance due to Democratic control of the Senate, was referred to the Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.
- The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party criticized the proposal as catering to extreme right-wing activists at the expense of Minnesotans.
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Minnesota state senators introduced a bill Monday, March 17, that would define the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and add it to the state’s list of mental illnesses. Five Republican lawmakers introduced the legislation.
President Donald Trump and his supporters have used the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” –– also known as “TDS” –– to describe negative reactions to his behavior and things he’s said.
The bill defines Trump Derangement Syndrome as “the 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.”
It defines mental illness as Trump Derangement Syndrome or any other condition listed in the diagnostic classification of mental illness or the statistical manual published by the American Psychiatric Association.
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party reacted to the legislation with a statement saying, “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.”
Minnesota’s legislature is split, with Democrats in control of the Senate, so the bill is unlikely to advance.
The bill was introduced in the Senate Monday and referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.
