Why We Should Stop Calling Trump "Crazy"
Labeling a political figure "crazy" is a common reflex in modern discourse. However, using mental illness as a shorthand for behavior we find abhorrent is both factually wrong and socially damaging. When journalists and pundits suggest that Donald Trump is mentally ill, they aren't just misdiagnosing a politician—they are insulting millions of ordinary citizens.
The primary issue with using "crazy" as an insult is that it reinforces false stereotypes. Data shows that the vast majority of people with mental health diagnoses—about 97 percent—are not violent. In fact, they are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. Most people managing mental health conditions are productive, law-abiding members of their communities.
When we equate erratic or harmful behavior with mental illness, we suggest that people with these diagnoses are inherently immoral or incapable of logic. This isn't true. Irrationality is a universal human trait, not a clinical requirement. By using "mental illness" as a garbage-can category for any behavior we dislike, we further marginalize a population that already faces significant discrimination.
The second issue is accuracy. Calling Trump "crazy" ignores the intentionality behind his actions. If we look at the standard definitions of "evil"—defined as behavior that is morally wrong, harmful, or characterized by future misfortune—a different picture emerges.
Trump’s record includes a long list of deliberate choices:
Moral wrongdoing: From the separation of children at the border to the use of charitable funds for personal gain.
Active harm: Policies that have led to the detention of thousands, the defunding of essential medical aid, and the removal of environmental protections that safeguard public health.
Ominous intent: Frequent rhetoric regarding "retribution," threats to prosecute political opponents, and suggestions of military intervention against sovereign neighbors.
Mental illness is a health condition; it is not a synonym for cruelty or prejudice. When we call a leader "crazy," we inadvertently provide them with a shield, suggesting they lack the agency or the "reason" to understand the consequences of their actions.
Trump’s actions are not the result of a clinical deficit in thought. They are the result of a specific worldview characterized by a lack of empathy and a disregard for established norms. To address the problem effectively, we must name it correctly. He is not a patient in need of a diagnosis; he is a leader whose actions should be judged on moral and ethical grounds. Stop using mental health as a punchline. It does nothing to restrain the politician, and it does a great deal of harm to everyone else.