ATLANTA (AP) – President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to battle the deadly epidemic of opioid drug abuse “until our job is done” and he claimed progress even though it is unclear whether the crisis has diminished.
Trump spoke an annual conference of health, law enforcement, elected and other officials who work to combat drug abuse and addiction, and used the appearance to advocate for the wall he wants to build on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying it will help keep drugs out of the U.S. His wife, Melania, introduced him.
“My administration is deploying every resource at our disposal to empower you, to support you and to fight right by your side,” Trump said. “We will not solve this epidemic overnight but we will stop. … We will never stop until our job is done.”
Before leaving the White House for the Atlanta event, Trump claimed credit for progress in combating the drug scourge.
“It’s a big problem. It’s a big addiction and we’re handling it,” the president told reporters. “We’ve made a tremendous amount of progress.” He said doctors, laboratories, clinics and drug companies have assisted the administration.