Staff Reports
Minnesota Senate Republicans have rolled out a new bill that’s sure to raise eyebrows across the political spectrum—specifically targeting those who seem to have fallen victim to what they’re calling “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS). The proposal aims to classify this all-too-familiar ailment as a legitimate mental illness. It’s as if the GOP decided to play doctor and diagnose their opponents with a condition that seems increasingly prevalent in blue states.
The irony is palpable as critics—likely frequent flyers of TDS—have come out in droves to denounce the bill, claiming it’s a waste of taxpayer money. This from people who often advocate for spending that could rival a Hollywood budget on nothing but social programs and identity politics. One has to wonder how many more absurdities will arise in the name of progress, especially when they see TDS as a trivialization of genuine mental health issues.
The bill lays out a pretty straightforward definition of both mental illness and TDS that sounds like it could be pulled right from the DSM-V, if the DSM-V had a sense of humor. It describes TDS as an acute paranoia during a president’s term that puts even the most entrenched ideologues in a tizzy over his everyday decisions. Symptoms include a well-documented hysteria that seems to confuse political discourse with melodrama, revealing a mind that can no longer discern legitimate policy critiques from a personal vendetta against the man in the Oval Office.
Naturally, the pushback from Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was swift and dramatic. She joined the chorus of detractors falling all over themselves to declare the bill as one of the “worst” in Minnesota history, likening it to a cheap stunt that squanders taxpayer resources in a state where, let’s face it, government overspending is more than just a problem—it’s a lifestyle. Murphy proclaimed it a “waste of staff time,” which honestly sounds like she’s talking about the Democratic agenda as a whole.
GOP State Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Classify This Condition As a Mental Illness https://t.co/jjLvWrsPhb
— Dr. Kenneth Warner (@wrestlerkw7) March 19, 2025
In a moment of clarity, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson cut through the noise by asserting that focus ought to rest on what truly matters, such as Minnesota’s budget woes and other pressing issues, rather than chasing the ghost of Trump through endless committee meetings. His observation highlights a deeper truth; it’s hard to fix a problem when half the conversation is about someone who isn’t even in office anymore. Johnson gently reminded the critics that while they may be riled up over Trump’s latest tweet, the folks at home are more worried about food and gas prices than late-night Twitter rants.
As laughter ensues at this comedic political circus, it’s crucial to recognize that TDS, despite being a potentially unverifiable diagnosis, is all too real. It affects people in ways that would make even the most stoic observer shake their head in disbelief. Friends and family fractures over political views? Check. Locked-in fury from even the slightest mention of Trump? Double-check. It’s a phenomenon that doesn’t require a psychologist to diagnose when you see normal people devolve into raving lunatics over something as mundane as a policy debate.
So yes, there might be some cringeworthy moments stemming from this bill. Still, when one peers deeper into the heart of the matter, it becomes abundantly clear that the root problem isn’t just TDS. It’s a symptom of a much larger sickness in government: overreach and intrusion into lives that were never meant to be governed this way. If only elected officials would realign with the ideals laid out by the Founding Fathers instead of conjuring up new ways to dismantle the last remnants of freedom, both TDS and government waste would be extinguished without a trace.
