Psychiatrist Pushes Trump Derangement Syndrome Diagnosis
Dr. Carole Lieberman seeks formal recognition of the proposed condition, which the American Psychiatric Association does not recognize.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Autism
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Dr. Carole Lieberman announced a public briefing in Washington on October 28, 2026, to advocate for Trump Derangement Syndrome to be considered for inclusion in the DSM. The American Psychiatric Association does not recognize the proposed condition.
Why it matters
Lieberman argues that formal recognition could encourage greater awareness and treatment for people experiencing severe emotional reactions to the president. Critics would face a substantial evidential hurdle, as no psychiatric assessments establishing that the proposed disorder motivated any specific attack were identified.
A TechnoMetrica/TIPP survey of 1,250 registered voters, conducted October 16 to 19, 2026, found 38% personally experienced reactions described as TDS and 70% observed anger or agitation towards Trump in others. Whether these self-reported reactions meet any clinical threshold remains unestablished.
The players
Dr. Carole Lieberman
A Los Angeles-based psychiatrist and author who has previously written about celebrity and political psychology, and who is advocating for the classification.
American Psychiatric Association
The professional body that publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and which does not currently recognize Trump Derangement Syndrome.
TechnoMetrica/TIPP
A polling organization whose survey of registered voters provided the data Lieberman cites in promoting her proposal.
The details
Lieberman said she spent two years developing proposed diagnostic criteria and published her account through TIPP Insights. She claims some assassination attempts against Trump can be attributed to the condition, though no supporting assessments have been identified.
Timeline
October 16 to 19, 2026: TechnoMetrica/TIPP survey fieldwork conducted
October 28, 2026: Lieberman's National Press Club briefing in Washington
Health Landscape
Formal DSM inclusion has historically required extended peer review and clinical validation, a standard that a poll-based proposal has not yet approached. The gap between public-opinion surveys and diagnostic classification is the central obstacle facing this campaign.
For readers, the proposal does not change any current diagnosis, insurance coverage or treatment pathway, since the condition has no formal status. Any effect would depend on future action by the American Psychiatric Association, which has not been announced.
The takeaway
Claims about a condition's existence carry weight only when they meet the standards clinicians use to validate diagnoses. Readers evaluating such proposals should distinguish between public-opinion data and clinical evidence.
Further reading
For background on how psychiatric conditions are formally classified, see the Autism section on diagnostic criteria and the process behind DSM listings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by International Business Times UK.
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