Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) drew ridicule after calling Donald Trump "the best thing to happen in this country in a hundred years" and saying he was "a very special baby."
Nehls also suggested, apparently tongue-in-cheek, funding counseling for those he labeled as having "Trump derangement syndrome."
The remarks — following other conspicuous displays of support, including a Trump-faced tie — prompted social media mockery and comparisons to propaganda.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) is facing widespread ridicule on social media after lavish praise for former President Donald Trump that critics compared to propaganda. In a recent appearance, Nehls described Trump in exuberant terms and even invoked an image of him as a "very special baby."
"Donald Trump is the best thing to happen in this country in a hundred years," Nehls declared. "He was born a very special baby. I bet you the doctors said, 'I can tell this is a very special baby.'"
Nehls went on to suggest — apparently tongue-in-cheek — creating a fund to treat those he said suffer from so-called "Trump derangement syndrome," a phrase the president often uses to dismiss his critics. "Maybe we ought to provide some counseling for all the nutjobs out there that think Donald Trump is the worst thing," Nehls said.
Nehls has a history of conspicuous displays of loyalty to Trump. In 2024 he quipped, "If Donald Trump says, 'Jump three feet high and scratch your head,' we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads." Earlier this year he drew attention by wearing a necktie covered with the president's face to the State of the Union and asking Trump to sign it after the speech.
The "very special baby" line and the proposal for a counseling fund prompted sharp criticism and satire online. Many users mocked the hyperbolic praise as cultlike and compared the rhetoric to state propaganda; others posted sarcastic responses highlighting the contrast between the remarks and conventional political discourse.
Bottom line: Whether meant seriously or as a provocation, Nehls' comments have reinforced his image as an ardent Trump supporter and sparked renewed debate on social media about personality-driven politics and political rhetoric.
Original reporting referenced: HuffPost.
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