For years MAGA haters have been erupting in fits of rage when responding to statements made by the president.
His allies in Congress are now pushing for investigations to determine whether his left-wing adversaries are truly afflicted by a phenomenon they have labeled as ‘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.
Critics of Trump, both from outside and within his party, have branded him as an adversary of democracy, a fascist, and a dictator reminiscent of Hitler.
This intense vilification has led to widespread protests, symbolic burnings of effigies, and even two documented assassination plots, underscoring the vehement opposition to his presidency.
So to finally get to the bottom of what is fueling the outrage, Rep. Warren Davidson, 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.
A proposal in Congress would direct the NIH to study the roots of Trump Derangement Syndrome, a ‘hysteria’ that is defined as an ‘intense, irrational emotional or cognitive reactions to President Donald J. Trump, his actions, or his public presence’
The bill notes how TDS can prompt violence, like the two assassination attempts on Trump
Thousands of protesters hold signs and flags and a large balloon with an image of President Donald Trump during the nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protest against Trump and his advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in downtown Los Angeles on April 5, 2025
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.
Activists from India’s Congress party burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump for what they claim to be his interference in the India-Pakistan conflict, during a protest in Kolkata on May 14, 2025
The Donald Trump baby blimp flown in protest of the president
‘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.
Ohio Republican Rep. Warren Davidson
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.
