MAGA ally intensifies rhetoric on 'Trump derangement syndrome'
For years MAGA haters have been erupting in fits of rage when responding to statements made by the president. Now, his allies in Congress want studies done to see if his left-wing opponents are actually suffering from a condition they have dubbed 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' Symptoms of so-called TDS are said to include an intense, often irrational hostility or obsession with Donald Trump, his actions, or his supporters.
The term is often used pejoratively by Trump fans to dismiss those making criticisms of the president. It lacks a formal psychological or medical basis but is based on the extreme political animus toward the 45th and 47th president. Trump has been called an enemy of democracy, a fascist and a dictator akin to Hitler by his political opponents, including from some within his own party.
He has been so heavily demonized that his actions - maybe even his mere existence - has sparked nationwide protests, effigy burnings and two assassination attempts. So to finally get to the bottom of what is fueling the outrage, Rep. Warren Davidson (pictured), R-Ohio, introduced the Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) Research Act of 2025 on Thursday to study the phenomenon. 'TDS has divided families, the country, and led to nationwide violence—including two assassination attempts on President Trump,' Davidson told the Daily Mail in a statement.
His proposal seeks to leverage the National Institute of Health's existing programs to study the purported disorder. And it shouldn't cost taxpayers a dime. '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 Davidson. The bill would provide funds to study TDS symptoms , its origins, long-term effects and intervention methods, according to bill text reviewed by the Daily Mail.
It defines TDS as 'intense, irrational emotional or cognitive reactions to President Donald J. Trump, his actions, or his public presence.' To avoid spending money on the program the bill will reallocate NIH resources inside the Institute of Mental Health. Compared to some of the projects that NIH has funded in the past, the TDS research is actually 'relevant' to everyday Americans, the congressman argues. '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's statement continued.
According to the Ohio Republican's office, the bill would direct the NIH to study the psychological and social roots of TDS. It would also direct the health agency to examine whether the media's coverage of Trump was a contributing factor to the spread of TDS. 'Notable early instances of TDS include certain media coverage amplifying polarized responses to Donald J. Trump's campaign rhetoric, which some observers cite as initial signs of TDS, though precise origins remain understudied,' the bill states.
Finding 'patient zero' of TDS is also a priority, according to the proposed legislation. Stipulations include that the NIH should provide a report to Congress with data and its findings within two years of enacting the measure. The act is co-sponsored by Alabama Republican Rep. Barry Moore. It is unclear if there is the appetite for such a bill to be taken up by the House.
House Republicans under Speaker Mike Johnson are rushing to cobble together a massive multi-trillion dollar 'big, beautiful bill' to pass Trump's agenda. They have a self-imposed deadline to finish their work before Memorial Day weekend next week. And as they work to enact tax cuts, the quest to find the origins of TDS will likely stay on the sidelines. In March, a group of GOP senators in Minnesota similarly filed a bill that would classify TDS as an official disorder . Their proposal explains that TDS manifests as 'verbal expressions of intense hostility' toward Donald Trump and 'overt acts of aggression and violence' against any person or thing that expresses support for the president.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
7 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Alzheimer's blood test can spot people with early symptoms, study suggests
A new blood test for Alzheimer's disease can accurately detect people with early symptoms, research suggests. Experts from the Mayo Clinic in the US have provided further evidence that blood tests can work to accurately diagnose dementia by examining two proteins in blood plasma. The proteins – amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217 – are associated with amyloid plaque buildup, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found the blood test was highly accurate, with 95% sensitivity, which means it was 95% accurate in picking up people with memory problems, with very few cases missed. It was also 82% for specificity, which means it was also highly accurate in ruling out people without dementia. The study was carried out on more than 500 people in an outpatient memory clinic, meaning it is real-world data. The blood test has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration regulator in the US. Dr Gregg Day, who led the study in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia, said the test was as good as more invasive tests in use. 'Our study found that blood testing affirmed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity,' he said. 'When performed in the outpatient clinical setting, this is similar to the accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of the disease and is much more convenient and cost-effective.' Overall, researchers found that p-tau217 levels were higher in patients with Alzheimer's disease versus those without the disease. Day said the next steps in the research were to evaluate blood-based testing in more diverse patient populations and people with early Alzheimer's who showed no cognitive symptoms. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director for research and innovation at the Alzheimer's Society in the UK, said the results 'suggest this test is very accurate' and could be used alongside other tests and observations from a trained health professional. 'This study shows how blood tests are making diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease quicker, easier and more accessible than ever before in a real-world setting,' he added. 'While focused on Alzheimer's disease, the test was evaluated in people with other types of dementias too, showing that it may help with differentiate causes of cognitive decline, though more research in diverse groups of individuals and in community-based setting is still needed. 'Currently diagnosis options in the UK are often slow, expensive and can be invasive, meaning thousands miss out on the benefits one can bring. 'It's great to see blood tests like this approved for clinical use in the US. We hope to see the same in the NHS, which is why we're part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge.' The Blood Biomarker Challenge is a multimillion-pound research programme supported by the Alzheimer's Society, Alzheimer's Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Its goal is to bring blood tests for dementia diagnosis to the National Health Service by 2029. Oakley said: 'Blood tests will be critical to accelerate diagnosis and give more people access to the care, support and treatments they desperately need faster than ever before. 'We must see long-term investment in the tools and workforce needed to ensure everyone living with dementia can get an early an accurate diagnosis, which is even more important with disease-modifying treatments on the horizon.' Dr Julia Dudley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'We urgently need to improve how we diagnose dementia and it's great to see international research working towards this goal. 'Blood tests in this study look at p-tau217 and amyloid beta 42/40 and showed the tests offered high accuracy in confirming Alzheimer's disease. 'This study adds to the growing evidence that blood tests can detect the diseases that cause dementia in people with early memory and thinking problems. 'An important point to consider is that people taking part in research don't always reflect the full diversity of those affected by dementia, who might have additional conditions or other characteristics. 'That is why work is needed to understand whether these blood tests work in a real-world setting. 'In the UK, studies like the Blood Biomarker Challenge are helping to build this evidence. The study is testing blood tests, including p-tau217, in thousands of people from sites across the UK. 'This work will be a crucial part of making diagnosis easier and faster, which will bring us closer to a cure.'
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
Riot police, anti-ICE protesters square off in Los Angeles after raids
LOS ANGELES, June 6 (Reuters) - Helmeted police in riot gear turned out on Friday evening in a tense confrontation with protesters in downtown Los Angeles, after a day of federal immigration raids in which dozens of people across the city were reported to be taken into custody. Live Reuters video showed Los Angeles Police Department officers lined up on a downtown street wielding batons and what appeared to be tear gas rifles, facing off with demonstrators after authorities had ordered crowds of protesters to disperse around nightfall. Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired "flash-bang" concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests. An LAPD spokesperson, Drake Madison, told Reuters that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest. Television news footage earlier in the day showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeted several locations, including a Home Depot in the city's Wetlake District, an apparel store in the Fashion District and a clothing warehouse in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles City News Service (CNS). CNS and other local media reported dozens of people were taken into custody during the raids, the latest in a series of such sweeps conducted in a number of cities as part of President Donald Trump's extensive crackdown on illegal immigration. The Republican president has vowed to arrest and deport undocumented migrants in record numbers. The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement action. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and massed outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were believed to be held. Impromptu demonstrations had also erupted at some of the raid locations earlier in the day. One organized labor executive, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, was injured and detained by ICE at one site, according to an SEIU statement. The union said Huerta was arrested "while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity." No details about the nature or severity of Huerta's injury were given. It was not clear whether he was charged with a crime. ICE did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for information about its enforcement actions or Huerta's detention. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement condemning the immigration raids, saying, "these tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Leaders of the Jan. 6 riot take revenge against US after securing pardon from Trump
Five former members of the Proud Boys are looking for a little revenge after getting a pardon from Donald Trump, filing a $100million lawsuit against the Department of Justice. One of the first moves of Donald Trump's second term was to pardon all January 6 defendants which included members of the far right Proud Boys. Former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean and Dominic Pezzola have filed the suit in Orlando federal court. While Tarrio received a pardon, the other four plaintiffs had their sentences commuted. The lawsuit said all four applied for pardons on May 13. They claim their constitutional rights were violated when they were prosecuted for their participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages plus 6% interest and $100 million plus interest in punitive damages. 'There was hostages in this country,' Tarrio said during a news conference Friday afternoon. 'It's not about any other country today, and that's why this lawsuit is so important to bring back law and order into our system.' The lawsuit claims the men were arrested with insufficient probable cause and that government agents later 'found' fake incriminating evidence. They also claim they were held for years in pretrial detention, often in solitary confinement. 'The Plaintiffs themselves did not obstruct the proceedings at the Capitol, destroy government property, resist arrest, conspire to impede the police, or participate in civil disorder, nor did they plan for or order anyone else to do so,' the lawsuit said. Tarrio, Biggs, Rehl and Nordean were all convicted of seditious conspiracy and other crimes for their participation in the Capitol riot that sought to stop Congress from certifying former U.S. President Joe Biden ´s win over President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Pezzola was acquitted on the conspiracy charge but convicted of stealing a police officer's riot shield and using it to smash a window. After returning to office earlier this year, Trump granted pardons to almost all of the more than 1,500 people who stormed the Capitol. The U.S. Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Speaking to a media gaggle packed into his White House office the night of the inauguration, Trump said he was pardoning about 1,500 defendants and issuing six commutations. Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was a guest of honor at the Reagan Tribute at Mar-a-Lago – just two weeks after his prison sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump's executive order Zachary Rehl (pictured left) and Ethan Nordean (pictured right) are two of the plaintiffs in the suit He also directed the attorney general to seek dismissal of about 450 pending criminal cases against Jan. 6 defendants. The pardons fulfill Trump's promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago. 'These are the hostages,' he said while signing the paperwork in the Oval Office. Trump declared at his indoor parade earlier that day that he will sign pardons for 'a lot of people' who were convicted for the attack on the U.S. Capitol as the crowd cheered enthusiastically. 'We won, we won, but now the work begins,' Trump said to start his remarks at the end of the parade in the packed Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC. Tarrio, one of the biggest names to get a pardon, has since said he plans to run for public office. He was sentenced in September 2023 to serve 22 years in prison after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6 attack – even though he was not present at the Capitol that day. And just two weeks later, Tarrio was among the guests of honor during a Reagan Tribute event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Tarrio, who was chairman of the Proud Boys at the time of the Capitol attack, said he would neither 'support' nor 'condemn' the riot. The far-right activist did insist, however, that he did not 'sympathize' with lawmakers who were terrified in their offices that day. At least 37 members of the Proud Boys were arrested, charged or indicted for alleged roles in the Capitol riot by January 2022. By then, Tarrio was no longer a leader of the group. He served as chairman from 2018 to 2021. The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack subpoenaed Tarrio to testify in November 2021 and in February 2022, he gave a deposition to the committee investigators and two members.
