Policy

To combat opioid crisis, Trump proposes the death penalty for drug dealers

"[I]f we don't get tough on the drug dealers, we're wasting our time," Trump said in New Hampshire on March 19. "And that toughness includes the death penalty." In his remarks, the president also outlined other aspects of the administration's plan to fight the opioid crisis, such as confronting overprescribing.

US President Donald Trump meets with leaders of the pharmaceutical industry in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2017

US President Donald Trump meets with leaders of the pharmaceutical industry in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2017.

In New Hampshire on March 19, President Donald Trump advocated for using the death penalty on drug dealers as a means to combat the opioid epidemic.

“[I]f we don’t get tough on the drug dealers, we’re wasting our time,” Trump said in his remarks. “We’re wasting our time. And that toughness includes the death penalty.”

He went on to bring up the death penalty numerous times, noting the nation may not be prepared for such a punishment.

“Now, maybe our country is not ready for that. … And I can understand it, maybe. Although, personally, I can’t understand that,” Trump added, directly contradicting himself.

The president also took to the stage to speak about his three-pronged approach to tackling the drug crisis.

For one, his administration will confront the overprescribing issue. Over the next three years, it plans to reduce opioid prescriptions nationwide by one-third.

“And our Department of Justice is looking very seriously into bringing major litigation against some of these drug companies,” he said. “We’ll bring it at a federal level.”

Additionally, the administration will take steps to cut back on the supply of illegal drugs. Trump took this point as an opportunity to advocate for building a wall along the border of the United States and Mexico.

“Ninety percent of the heroin in America comes from our southern border, where, eventually, the Democrats will agree with us and we’ll build the wall to keep the damn drugs out,” he said, adding that putting an end to sanctuary cities is “crucial” to stopping the drug crisis.

The third part of Trump’s plan is to ensure individuals in need of assistance can get help through overdose-reversing drugs and medically assisted treatment.

In a White House fact sheet released March 19, the administration also said part of its three-part approach includes utilizing federal funding to help states “transition to a nationally interoperable Prescription Drug Monitoring Program network.”

As Politico pointed out, this plan — particularly the part about a nationwide drug monitoring database — is similar to policies first created during the Obama administration.

Photo: Nicholas Kamm, Getty Images

Shares0
Shares0