Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

‘Trump derangement syndrome’ and the Goldwater rule for psychiatrists

Senator Barry Goldwater arrives at O'Hare International Airport to continue his campaign for the Presidency of the United States. Supporters have gathered around the presidential candidate, who will be speaking at a $100-a-plate dinner tonight in Chicago. The YAF (pictured on sign in background) is the Young Americans for Freedom, a group who supports the war in Vietnam.
Barry Goldwater during his campaign for the US presidency. ‘In the 1960s, many psychiatrists opined on the mental health of the Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.’ Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

A bill was recently introduced to the Minnesota legislature to categorise “Trump derangement syndrome” as a mental illness. The proposed bill defines the syndrome as characterised by “verbal expressions of intense hostility toward” Donald Trump and “overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting [Trump] or anything that symbolises [Trump].”

Such a bill obviously infringes on our constitutional right to freely criticise our elected leaders and can serve as a stepping stone towards labelling and punishing political opponents under the guise of utilising a variety of compulsory psychiatric interventions. However, this bill is reminiscent of anti-Trump mental health professionals who have opined that President Trump poses a great danger because of a severe personality disorder.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.