Trump Derangement Syndrome commercial, explained

If you’ve kept up to date with U.S. politics over the last couple of years, you will have undoubtedly come across the term Trump Derangement Syndrome. It’s mainly used by supporters of president Donald Trump to describe those who criticize or have negative reactions to him. The term is often used as a Republican talking-point to discredit the opinions of those who oppose Trump, and since he’s done a lot of things worthy of criticism, it’s been thrown around quite frequently in recent times.

So popular is the term that it even made its way into pro-Trump commercials during his presidential campaign last year, and has more recently become the subject of a Republican-backed bill to classify Trump Derangement Syndrome as an official mental illness. So where exactly did that commercial originate, and how likely is it that Trump Derangement Syndrome is registered as a mental condition?

The Trump Derangement Syndrome commercial was created by Nicole Shanahan.

My team never sleeps 😂 pic.twitter.com/THH4MiMMMI

— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) August 29, 2024

Released in September, 2024, the Trump Derangement Syndrome commercial was created by the team of Nicole Shanahan, the attorney and entrepreneur who was named as RFK Jr.’s running mate during his presidential campaign. When RFK Jr. dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, so too did Shanahan, culminating in the release of various pro-Trump commercials in the lead-up to the November election. 

In the commercial, which satirically adopts the style of a pharmaceutical ad, a narrator can be heard asking whether viewers suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, with symptoms including “deny[ing] the current issues facing our country,” and being “willing to elect someone who was the least popular vice president in modern history,” in reference to Trump’s presidential opponent, Kamala Harris. 

Amazing.

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 30, 2024

“If so, you might be struggling from TDS,” the narrator adds. The commercial then introduces the ‘cure’ to Trump Derangement Syndrome in the form of “independence,” with benefits including “constructive critical thinking” instead of “believing everything you hear from the mainstream media.” The commercial also includes parody testimonials from voters who’ve been ‘cured’ of Trump Derangement Syndrome. 

The commercial might not have been so satirical after all. 

It’s almost official – TDS is a mental illness.

“Trump derangement syndrome” is defined as “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump,” according to the bill.” pic.twitter.com/QrYnItpWi1

— The Constitutionalist 🇺🇸 (@WeWillBeFree24) March 17, 2025

Shanahan’s commercial went viral among Trump supporters and Republicans, garnering over 6 million views and a reaction from Donald Trump Jr., who described it as “amazing.” While the ad was clearly intended as satire, since TDS is not an actual syndrome, that was clearly lost on some Republican senators. In March, 2025, five Republican Minnesota Senate Republicans announced plans to put forth a bill that would classify Trump Derangement Syndrome as an official mental illness. 

The bill – drafted by Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin D. Eichorn, and Glenn H. Gruenhagen – seeks to add TDS to the lengthy list of mental health conditions worthy of appropriate healthcare in Minnesota. The bill is set to go before the State Senate, and lists symptoms such as “Trump-induced hysteria” and “overt acts of aggression and violence” towards Trump supporters.

Naturally, the bill has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, with State senate majority leader Erin Murphy calling it “possibly the worst bill in Minnesota history.” It remains to be seen whether the bill will come into effect, but it is set to be introduced and read to the Minnesota Senate Health and Human Services Committee in late-March.