Congressman Pushes for NIH to Study ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’

To MAGA supporters, Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. Now one Republican lawmaker wants the federal government to make it official.

Key Facts:

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced the Trump Derangement Syndrome Research Act of 2025 on Thursday.
The bill calls on the NIH to study the psychological and social causes of extreme anti-Trump reactions.
It proposes reallocating current NIH resources, avoiding new federal spending.
The bill defines TDS as “intense, irrational emotional or cognitive reactions” to Donald Trump or his actions.
The measure is unlikely to move forward soon as House Republicans focus on passing Trump’s budget and tax plan.

The Rest of The Story:

Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, is a term used by Trump supporters to describe what they see as irrational and extreme hostility toward the former president.

Though not recognized by the medical community, the term has gained traction as political rhetoric around Trump intensifies.

Rep. Warren Davidson’s new bill asks the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research this phenomenon.

His legislation aims to study the symptoms, origins, and long-term impacts of TDS using existing NIH mental health programs, claiming it would not require additional funding.

The legislation also demands that the NIH report back to Congress within two years.

A co-sponsor, Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), supports the bill, though there’s no clear momentum for it.

With Congress pushing to pass a massive spending package before Memorial Day, this proposal may not get much attention right now.

Commentary:

You can’t make this stuff up.

First Minnesota tries to label TDS a diagnosable condition, and now a sitting U.S. congressman wants taxpayer dollars to fund a federal study.

🚨JUST ANNOUNCED: Minnesota Senate Republicans just introduced a bill classifying "TDS Trump Derangement Syndrome" as a mental illness.

Beautiful🤣🤣🤣 I believe far more than 68% of Americans want more of this… pic.twitter.com/QMtpSCAr1N

— AJ Huber (@Huberton) March 15, 2025

At a time when Americans are crushed by inflation and debt, how does this rank as a legislative priority?

While Davidson argues the study wouldn’t cost extra, every minute spent debating it is a distraction from serious issues—like securing the border, cutting spending, or fixing the economy.

The idea that Congress should investigate emotional responses to one man, while its own budget is in crisis, borders on parody.

Sure, people are divided. They’ve been divided since Jefferson and Hamilton.

Americans have always argued over politics and sometimes it gets ugly.

But turning polarization into a psychiatric case study is a new kind of absurd.

The left and right view Trump very differently. That’s no surprise.

But does that justify funneling federal research resources into naming and diagnosing that divide?

Would we accept a “Biden Derangement Syndrome” study if the roles were reversed?

This isn’t about health. It’s about messaging.

And while Davidson is probably right that NIH has funded some wasteful projects in the past, that doesn’t justify adding another one just to make a point.

Especially not while the GOP leadership is racing to finalize a budget that could shape the country’s economic direction for years.

Speaker Johnson would be wise to leave this one in the drawer.

Congress has real work to do.

The Bottom Line:

Rep. Warren Davidson’s TDS Research Act is more political theater than policy.

It plays to the base but is unlikely to gain traction amid serious budget debates.

Though framed as cost-neutral, using federal health agencies to diagnose political polarization is a slippery slope.

Congress should stay focused on legislation that actually helps American families and secures the nation’s future.

Congressman Pushes for NIH to Study ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’

Key Facts:

The Rest of The Story:

Commentary:

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