USA. Trump’s Punitive Approach to Drug Addiction Is Nothing New
USA. Trump’s Punitive Approach to Drug Addiction Is Nothing New
Illegal drugs fundamentally shaped the 2024 Presidential election. The campaign season helped to reignite a focus on the opioid crisis and its devastating impacts on communities across the country. Conspicuously absent from both the Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns, though, were proposals to expand access to treatment in any meaningful way. Instead of providing plans to aid Americans struggling with addiction, candidates from both parties advocated for harsher penalties. In what would become a winning campaign message, Trump doubled down on punitive measures, calling for “cracking down on fentanyl smugglers, securing the U.S.-Mexico border and executing drug dealers.” As one Politico headline declared, “Everyone’s tough on drugs again…Virtually no one’s talking about treatment.” (Time, USA, 07.02.2025)