Trump says 300 million Americans died from drugs; the internet wonders who is left
Asked on Sunday whether he was concerned about further escalation in the Caribbean, Trump replied: “What’s illegal are the drugs that were on the boat, and the drugs that are being sent into our country. And the fact that 300 million people died last year from drugs. That’s what’s illegal.”
Donald Trump said earlier this month that 11 people were killed on a boat leaving Venezuela that was allegedly carrying illegal narcotics.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello condemned the incident as "murder," saying investigations found no evidence the victims were drug traffickers or members of the Tren de Aragua gang. He accused US Navy personnel of boarding a tuna boat carrying nine fishermen, reports True Jersey.
Asked on Sunday whether he was concerned about further escalation in the Caribbean, Trump replied: "What's illegal are the drugs that were on the boat, and the drugs that are being sent into our country. And the fact that 300 million people died last year from drugs. That's what's illegal."
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The remark drew immediate reactions online, with critics noting the US population is around 340 million. "Last year, the US population was 340 million people. Based on my admittedly anecdotal evidence, most of y'all are still here," film producer Franklin Leonard wrote on X.
George Conway, a lawyer once active in Republican politics, said: "The great thing about Labor Day weekend when we didn't hear from him is we had a pleasant respite from hearing him say idiotic things."
Ben Meiselas, co-founder of MeidasTouch, joked: "He's wrong. It's a billion gazillion people." A YouTuber commented: "Yeah, so 300 million people is about the population of the USA. I haven't been outside in a while — are all y'all gone?"
Former US Attorney Joyce Vance added: "Apparently, most of us have now died from drugs, according to the president."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in January that about 75,000 people died from drug overdoses in the past year.
Trump reiterated that Venezuela was sending "gang members, their drug dealers and drugs" to the United States. "It's not acceptable," he said, adding that the number of boats seen off Venezuela's coast had decreased after his administration expanded the US Navy's presence in the region.
"We'll see what happens," he told reporters when asked about potential further strikes. "There's certainly not a lot of boats out there."
A US official told ABC News that Coast Guard personnel found no contraband on the fishing vessel. The New York Times reported the boat appeared to have turned around before the strike.
