Trump Vows To Reverse ‘Horrific Plague’ Of Drug Abuse

After securing a majority in the House of Representatives, GOP lawmakers vowed to work toward securing the nation’s southern border and stemming the tide of drugs into the U.S. 

Of course, with President Joe Biden in the White House, incremental progress is all that House Republicans can realistically hope to achieve. If former President Donald Trump wins a second term in next year’s election, however, he has promised to use his authority to clamp down on the flow of narcotics from Mexico.

In a campaign statement released this week, Trump touted his first-term success and explained how he would build on that progress in a second term.

“For three decades before my election, drug overdose deaths increased every single year,” he said. “Under my leadership, we took the drug and fentanyl crisis head on and we achieved the first reduction in overdose deaths in more than 30 years.”

Following the reversal of that trend during President Joe Biden’s term, however, Trump acknowledged that there is much more work to be done.

Describing his successor’s record as “one of death, destruction, and misery in communities across our nation,: he added: “Now, fentanyl and other ultra-deadly poisons are pouring into our country unchecked — stealing more than 100,000 American lives every single year.”

Things will change for the better if he returns to the White House, he promised.

“I will take action on day one to end this horrific plague and save American lives,” Trump vowed. “Joe Biden will never solve the drug overdose crisis because he is actively destroying our border.”

As for policy specifics, he mentioned a plan to work with the leaders of other nations to “dismantle” cartels and other drug-trafficking operations. He said he also supports harsher penalties — including capital punishment — for those convicted of the most serious crimes related to drug dealing and human trafficking. 

In addition to cracking down on local crime, he emphasized the need for recovery programs and counseling services for those addicted to drugs. 

Additionally, Trump signaled a desire to permanently categorize fentanyl as a controlled substance at the federal level and leverage his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping to halt the export of the powerful stimulant. 

“I had a deal worked out with President Xi,” Trump said. “They weren’t going to be sending any more, and they were going to impose the death penalty on those that made it in China.”