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Two scrappy Republican congressmen (who clearly don’t have a whole lot else on their plates) issued a press release last week announcing their desire to see the National Institute of Health (NIH) conduct studies on “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” which you might recall Minnesota Republicans tried and failed to get declared an actual mental disorder.
“TDS has divided families, the country, and led to nationwide violence—including two assassination attempts on President Trump. 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 Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). “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.”
Hey, it’s not our fault that the families of Trump supporters want nothing to do with them. They should try being more compelling and interesting as human beings so that doesn’t happen to them.
That being said, many important scientific studies can sound pretty silly when phrased that way and without context. Who wants to fund a study in which a guy just stares at mold? Or a study on why flies are attracted to the urine of diabetic dogs? Or a study on what happens when you give Ambien to coma patients?
A lot of people, actually. Because that’s why we have penicillin. That’s why we know that insulin treats diabetes. It’s why we know that Ambien can have a paradoxical effect on coma patients that actually allows some to regain different levels of consciousness for a time.
The “giving cats methamphetamine” study referenced by Rep. Davidson was a 2002 study looking at the effect of methamphetamine had on cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (often referred to as feline AIDS), and determining that it accelerated the progression of FIV. This gave scientists insight into understanding what effect amphetamines might have on those with HIV or AIDS, due to the similarity between the two conditions.
The “gambling monkeys” study he referenced led to scientists at Johns Hopkins understanding that the prefrontal cortex is directly tied to risk-taking and found that suppressing this region of the brain made the monkeys less likely to take risks. Not only did this help us understand more about gambling addictions, it helped us understand why adolescents — with their underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes — are more likely to engage in risky behavior, crime, and so forth, than are adults with fully developed prefrontal cortexes.
Both of these studies are far, far more important than studying why people hate a politician. Conservatives are out here literally asking about the “Clinton Body Count” conspiracy from 1995 at White House press briefings, and you don’t see us trying to examine their brains. Though perhaps they might want to consider therapy.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome has become an epidemic on the Left,” said Rep. Barry Moore (R-Alabama), Davidson’s co-sponsor on the bill. “Some individuals who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome have participated in nationwide political and social unrest, even trying to assassinate President Trump twice. Rep. Davidson’s common-sense bill will use already appropriated funds on an NIH study that can make a difference.”
What? People have tried to protest a president? My goodness, what is next?
It’s worth noting, for the 85,000th time, that attempted Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was a registered Republican who loved AR-15s and used the far-right social media site Gab. Ryan Wesley Routh voted for Trump in 2016 and wanted a Nikki Haley/Vivek Ramaswamy ticket for 2024.
That being said, as a devoted fan of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and person who knows an entirely normal amount about Garfield assassin Charles J. Guiteau, I can tell you that the vast majority of our presidential assassins and attempted assassins have not had the most fabulously coherent political beliefs.
Additionally, both Squeaky Fromme (not actually shown in the video above, that is Annie Golden playing Squeaky Fromme) and Sara Jane Moore tried to assassinate Gerald Ford and I’m pretty sure no one had Gerald Ford Derangement Syndrome.
But let’s take a look at what these fellas want to do, hmm? Davidson says that the bill will:
Investigate TDS’s origins and contributing factors, including the media’s role in amplifying the spread of TDS.
Analyze its long-term impacts on individuals, communities, and public discourse.
Explore interventions to mitigate extreme behaviors, informing strategies for a healthier public square.
Provide data-driven insights into how media and polarization shape political violence and social unrest.
Require an annual report to Congress.
No Additional Spending: Uses existing NIH resources and avoids new spending.
Ah. So not only do they want to disingenuously “study” a non-existent disease made up by internet trolls, they want to claim it is caused by being too well-informed about Donald Trump.
If Davidson knew more about science, he might know that the “disgust” instinct is an evolutionary adaptation that human beings developed for reasons of our own personal safety — to keep us from eating rotten food or voting for rotten human beings. Perhaps those who lack this ability (as well as the ability to empathize with others) might want to follow our lead.
OPEN THREAD.
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