Got ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome?' GOP lawmakers want the NIH to study an ‘epidemic on the left'
Pointing to an 'epidemic on the left,' two Republicans in the U.S. House are calling for a government-funded study of 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
The bill sponsored by U.S. Reps. Warren Davidson, of Ohio, and Barry Moore, of Alabama, would direct the National Institutes of Health to "study the psychological and social roots" of "a phenomenon marked by extreme negative reactions to President Donald J. Trump."
The pop affliction has 'divided families, the country, and led to nationwide violence—including two assassination attempts on President Trump. The TDS Research Act would require the NIH to study this toxic state of mind, so we can understand the root cause and identify solutions,' Davidson said in a statement.
And 'instead of funding ludicrous studies such as giving methamphetamine to cats or teaching monkeys to gamble for their drinking water, the NIH should use that funding to research issues that are relevant to the real world,' Davidson added, referring to a malady that does not yet appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
And 'some individuals who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome have participated in nationwide political and social unrest, even trying to assassinate President Trump twice,' Moore chimed in, arguing that Davidson's 'common-sense bill will use already appropriated funds on an NIH study that can make a difference.'
It's probably worth noting here that, in the annals of political affliction, TDS isn't new.
In the early 2000s, columnist George Will asserted that President George W. Bush's fiercest critics suffered from 'Bush Derangement Syndrome.'
And if you guessed that it was followed by 'Obama Derangement Syndrome,' give yourself a gold star.
So is Trump Derangement Syndrome a mental illness or not?
Writing for Psychology Today," Rob Whitley, who's in the psychiatry faculty at McGill University in Canada, said it could be, like its predecessors, what's broadly known as a 'folk category' of mental illness.
'The name itself explicitly suggests a 'syndrome,' which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as 'a characteristic combination of opinions, emotions, or behavior.' Several commentators have run with this, putting forth suggestions about opinions, emotions and behaviors characterizing TDS,' he wrote.
The bottom line? It's probably too soon to tell.
'As such, further research is necessary to investigate the extreme reactions toward President Trump, in the same way that researchers investigate other extreme social phenomena, such as Beatlemania or the like,' Whitley wrote for Psychology Today.
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'TDS has divided families, the country, and led to nationwide violence—including two assassination attempts on President Trump. The TDS Research Act would require the NIH to study this toxic state of mind, so we can understand the root cause and identify solutions.' said Rep. Davidson (R-OH).
'Trump Derangement Syndrome has become an epidemic on the Left,' said Rep. Moore (R-AL). 'Some individuals who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome have participated in nationwide political and social unrest, even trying to assassinate President Trump twice. Rep. Davidson's common-sense bill will use already appropriated funds on an NIH study that can make a difference.'
Background:
The TDS Research Act addresses a critical issue: the instinctual negative and often violent reaction to any supportive statement or event related to President Trump. By leveraging NIH's existing programs at the National Institute of Mental Health, the bill will:
Investigate TDS's origins and contributing factors, including the media's role in amplifying the spread of TDS.
Analyze its long-term impacts on individuals, communities, and public discourse.
Explore interventions to mitigate extreme behaviors, informing strategies for a healthier public square.
Provide data-driven insights into how media and polarization shape political violence and social unrest.
Require an annual report to Congress.
No Additional Spending: Uses existing NIH resources and avoids new spending.
Read the original article on MassLive.
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