AZ State Senator Proposes Law To Spend State Resources Studying ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’
from the study-a-mirror dept
I’ve come to really appreciate the term “Trump derangement syndrome.” I’ve found it incredibly useful, primarily because whenever I hear someone use the phrase unironically, I am comfortable assessing that the conversation with that person will be unproductive and can be ended. It’s a rhetorical device, and not a particularly good one, that is trotted out to dismiss any criticism of Dear Leader/Orange Daddy. There’s no actual substance to it, but it’s been picked up by all kinds of right wing media outlets and even the President himself when he wants to take a shit on a beloved dead man’s undug grave. It’s all just empty calories, candy for a base of fervent fandom that can’t be bothered to actually argue a point.
Which makes it particularly galling that one Arizona state Senator wants to spend government resources “studying” TDS.
If it’s a contest on who can tee up the wackiest bill for a veto, Surprise state Sen. Janae Shamp might be going for gold. In a bill filed Monday ahead of the 2026 legislative session, Shamp has proposed that Arizona’s government undertake a study of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase that has become popular among Republicans to describe negative sentiments toward President Donald Trump.
Shamp’s Senate Bill 1070 — not the most infamous bill by that name, which it shares with Arizona’s notorious “show me your papers” law — would direct the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct or support research to “advance the understanding of Trump Derangement Syndrome, including its origins, manifestations and long-term effects on individuals, communities and public discourse.” It also directs the department to identify early documented cases and analyze factors like political polarization. The department would have a year to present its findings or provide an update.
Some have called this a “statement bill.” Some have indicated it’s red meat for the base in order to further Shamp’s career. I call it something much more simple: a giant waste of fucking time, money, and resources that are provided by the people of Arizona. The disrespect to go on a campaign of legislative shitposting, while putting real dollars and people behind the troll, is breathtaking.
So much so, actually, that I hope this passes. It almost certainly won’t survive a veto from Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs of course, but a big piece of me wishes it would. Put this bullshit on full display. Make a circus of it. Show in painful detail exactly how some lawmakers in the Trump cult want to use your money for this nonsense. Then come back to me and tell me once more about the party of limited government and fiscal responsibility.
Or turn this bill completely on its head.
The bill’s definition of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is amusingly — and perhaps unintentionally — broad. Shamp’s bill defines so-called TDS as “a behavioral or psychological phenomenon that is characterized by intense emotional or psychological reactions to Donald Trump, his actions or his public presence as observed in individuals or groups.”
According to that definition, it appears that “Trump Derangement Syndrome” could also be applied to the intense adoration and worship of Trump that Republicans often exhibit. Perhaps right-wingers like Shamp and Wendy Rogers, who often fawn over Trump, should be in padded cells.
To be clear, I think that would be a giant waste of time as well. But if modern American politics is going to devolve into a troll-off, at least go ahead and try to win it, I guess.
Or perhaps we can all agree that this is stupid, that spending any calories studying a made up affliction that has no basis in reality is silly, and that there are obviously some members of state government who are past their expiration date.
Filed Under: arizona, janae shamp, trump derangement syndrome
Comments on “AZ State Senator Proposes Law To Spend State Resources Studying ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’”
Someone in Minnesota proposed a similar bill that would have made “Trump Derangement Syndrome” a mental illness.
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As Trump is clearly unhealthy for all people, maybe he should be banned, instead of porn or social networks…
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Yep, and got arrested for trying to fuck a kid like three days later. Just saying, someone might need to check Shamp’s hard drives.
Re: TDS
I only reply to you to keep my comment near the top where it can be seen.
WHY does everybody forget the ‘apostrophy s’ ?!?
That’s Trump’s Derangement Syndrome.
Opening the door to removing those who speak out in dissent/opposition
What that Arizona state senator is doing is further opening the door to remove those that speak out in dissent/opposition to ‘Dear Leader’, TDS being the current reason to use much like how other reasons were used under infamous regimes over the years. All wrapped up and paid for by the US taxpayer who might or might not be ‘disappeared’ in the near future for what they said.
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This is what i was thinking. “Well, we can also fund the cops and other existing or new bits of the system to handle people with TDS and remove them from public for safety.” Private profit prisons for all.
Not only can that broad definition apply to his base, but it also can apply to authentic reactions to Trump’s actually inhumane cruelty and greed, such that it’s a rational response that a moral person would experience, and not derangement at all. Which is why the derangement smear is such bullshit.
Pretending someone is irrational if they don’t like a person who is intentionally hurting others is derangement. And it’s not like Trump’s cruelty is in dispute. His base loves that he is cruel (to other people). “This is what I voted for,” as they remind us when people get kidnapped and sent to torture camps.
But it’s just another cognitive dissonance stance that they wear proudly. He’s both absurdly cruel and you’re crazy for getting upset that he’s absurdly cruel.
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I genuinely believe that within the next three years, there will be a concerted push to declare empathy a mental illness as much of what they attack as ‘woke’, ‘TDS’ or ‘lib’ simply boils down to being willing to help others because they need it. Fascist neck piercing enthusiast Charlie Kirk was alreafy floating trial balloons, attacking empathy in his speeches and podcast, and grifters reading conservative think tank talking points are usually where the next target of GOP attacks is lined up in their sights.
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The evangelicals are already calling empathy a sin. Have for years now.
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Condemning Jesus for being ‘woke’ even as they clutch their bibles(when they’re not beating people over the head with it) and demand that it be crowbared into schools so that children will be taught ‘good christian morals’.
Timothy, as you likely know, there, in bold, is the problem. You are invoking causality and logic. The group in question does not strongly believe in either. So the “propose stupid bill” -> “waste tax payer money” -> “publicly make yourself a clown” chain causes no major concern in them. The only significant group of people it would convince (at this point) are those who already agree with you.
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Au contraire, they believe in a lot of causalities.
They believe that watching drag shows causes kids to turn into homosexuals or drag queens.
They believe that reading about other sexualities or genders causes the reader to turn into the sexuality or gender they’re reading about.
They believe that being brown causes you to be a criminal.
They believe that sucking up to Trump causes you to be fantastic at whatever government position they give you.
The fact that all those causalities have nothing to do with reality eludes them, but they do believe in causality.
Trump Derangement Syndrome is just a fancy term for nazism.
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I could see saying someone has trump derangement syndrome is alike to nazism but not the person who acts like it.
Trump is cruel and a buffoon and I would not want him as my leader, but I wouldn’t like Putin either and I don’t have hate for either.
Your typical Australian probably does not know anyone affected by trump, at most they probably read something on the internet.
But even before trump was elected some Australians expressed a irrational hatred for trump based on “overly” empathetic feedback from the internet and the state run media.
Arizona Legislators
Hi, I live in Arizona, and TDS is worse than you write. My opinion follows. Also it’s no longer January 5th so maybe redo the “support us by Jan 5th” message… especially since §230 will be history shortly…
Arizona is a US state with varying degrees of support for any one person, like the current one.
Southern Arizona disassociates itself from northern Arizona, and the unofficial secession non-movement is called “Baja, Arizona.” Google is your friend there.
Superior, Prescott, the 10+ Phoenix suburbs who pretend to be entities (Mesa, Goodyear, Chandler, Scottsdale, I’m already tired typing…) are strongholds of the Rebuplicrap party.
Jump to the northwest Arizona and you get Measles-Center or MAGA-Center or Pedophile-center. Kingman, Havasu, and the borders of Nevada or Utah suggest it’s a different country.
Best 2026 wishes to all.
E
What’s more deranged, having Trump Derangement Syndrome or not having Trump Derangement Syndrome?
To be clear, TDS is what MAGA and all Trump supporters suffer from. They have to be deranged to believe anything Trump has ever said. Yes, their condition absolutely must be studied to determine at what point their brains melted.
Fun fact : Syndromes are named after the first confirmed case.
Trump Derangement Syndrome?
“Donnie ‘I invented groceries’ Two Dolls” is patient zero.
I have mixed feelings on this, I think it would be a worthwhile study, just to get it formally documented in the scientific literature, but it’s also a waste of taxpayer funds, because I can tell you the results for free right now..
They would find that that someone claiming another is suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, is showing a marker for the severe psychological projection occurring among the most politically polarized, least informed and mentally stable members of Trump’s base.
"Trump Derangement Syndrome" Definition
I have already re-defined “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as you suggest: to refer to the irrational, almost worshipful attitude among some supporters of that particular game-show-host-turned-politician. Whenever I use the term that is the meaning I give it.
would direct the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct or support research to “advance the understanding of Trump Derangement Syndrome, including its origins,
They want to study Donald Trump? I mean, if the want to study the “origins” of Trump Derangement Syndrome…
Thought-terminating cliche is the phrase you’re looking for here. “TDS” is a thought-terminating cliche.
We’ve already got tons of research on cults.
Much like “cultural marxism” and “wokeness,” as well as earlier terms like “cancel culture” and “political correctness.” I almost appreciate how transparent people who keep bandying these terms around; it’s saved me a lot of time.
'Every accusation a confession', TDS Edition
According to that definition, it appears that “Trump Derangement Syndrome” could also be applied to the intense adoration and worship of Trump that Republicans often exhibit. Perhaps right-wingers like Shamp and Wendy Rogers, who often fawn over Trump, should be in padded cells.
Not, ‘could also’, rather ‘would almost exclusively apply to’. People who loathe Trump, his words and his actions generally have very solid, reality-based reasons to do so. His cultists however seem to base their entire identities around him, putting him on the same level as a religious figure that can never be wrong to the point that if reality contradicts his words it’s reality that they dismiss.
It probably is a good idea to study the true form of TDS some time down the line to find out how literally tens of millions of people became infected with it, but step one is realizing that the only people suffering from it are those that consider it an insult for other people.
DTS
They got the order of the letters wrong in the acronym. It should be DTS. Deranged Trump Syndrome. Examples of his derangement are how he makes any death about him. Doug LaMalfa dies, Trump talks about how it impacts Trump. John F. Kennedy is assassinated many years ago and Trump makes it about Trump. What a sad person he is. He was so happy to get his participation award (FIFA Peace Prize). It’s such a “WOKE” award and he and his base don’t see the irony in it.
Would it not be better to study Trump’s Derangement Syndrome?
However, I seem to recall individuals who challenged party authority, expressed “counter-revolutionary” views, or persistently petitioned the state were sometimes diagnosed with mental illnesses by the Chinese Communist Party.
The only TDS that is real
Is the TDS that makes trump supporters able to believe anything he says.
Trump Derangement Syndrome
There is no such thing. Much like “Antifa”, it is most likely yet another REPUBLICAN term, drummed up to distract and degrade Drumpf’s (real name), opponents.
A study of this so-called mental anguish (yes, there is…), is yet another wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money to support another fake image on the “right”. Thank you.