Shamp Sponsors ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ Study Bill

Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp (R–29) has introduced legislation directing the Arizona Department of Health Services to study what she describes as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), framing extreme political fixation as a growing public health issue with implications for mental health, public safety, and civil discourse.

The bill, SB 1070, would authorize the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services to conduct a comprehensive study of the psychological, social, and behavioral effects of intense political obsession with President Donald Trump. According to the bill’s legislative findings, the study would analyze contributing factors such as media saturation, political polarization, and prolonged exposure to high-conflict political environments.

In a press release issued Tuesday, December 23, 2025, Shamp said the measure is intended to confront what she views as an escalating problem.

“We can no longer ignore the dangerous fallout of extreme political obsessions that are detrimentally impacting mental health and the safety of our citizens,” Shamp said. “When extreme political fixation begins to distort judgment, damage relationships, and destabilize communities, the government has a responsibility to seek facts and understanding.”

🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senator Shamp Introduces Bill to Study Trump Derangement Syndrome Amid Rising Public Health Crisis@AZSenatorShamp pic.twitter.com/m3SkjKyFq4

— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) December 23, 2025

Shamp’s proposal is based in part on her professional background. Before entering public office, she worked as a registered nurse, an experience she frequently references when addressing public health issues.

Supporters of the legislation say her clinical background brings a health-care lens to an issue often treated solely as political rhetoric, arguing that chronic stress, anxiety, and behavioral dysregulation linked to political outrage warrant formal study.

The bill would direct state health officials to collaborate with mental health professionals to assess the impact of prolonged political fixation on anxiety disorders, depression, social withdrawal, or aggressive behavior, and to identify potential strategies to reduce harm.

The concept of TDS as a true mental disorder is not new. Mental health practitioners report observing similar patterns in clinical settings. Jonathan Alpert, a New York–based psychotherapist, said in a recent interview that extreme fixation on Trump has become a recurring issue among his patients.

“This is not about politics or policy anymore,” Alpert said. “It’s about obsession, anxiety, rage, and emotional distress tied to one individual.”

In an interview with Fox News, Alpert stated that approximately 75 percent of his patients exhibit symptoms associated with TDS, describing it as a fixation that interferes with emotional regulation and daily functioning.

President Trump popularized the term, having repeatedly used it to describe the irrational hostility toward him that persists regardless of policy outcomes or factual developments.

At rallies and in interviews, Trump has argued that critics are driven by emotional fixation rather than substantive disagreement, asserting that the intense opposition has fueled misinformation, social division, and, in some cases, violence.

Critics are expected to argue that the bill politicizes mental health or stigmatizes political dissent. Supporters counter that the legislation does not target ideology or party affiliation, but instead seeks to understand the mental and social effects of sustained outrage and extreme political fixation, regardless of political orientation.

SB 1070 has been formally introduced but has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.

If advanced, the studies authorized by the bill would be reported to the Legislature and used for future public health initiatives aimed at reducing political stress and restoring civil discourse in Arizona.