New Hampshire holds its presidential primaries, a state devastated by opioid addiction. But Republicans’ response to the crisis has largely focused on cutting off the supply of illegal drugs.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Next week, New Hampshire holds its presidential primaries. It’s a state that has been devastated by opioid addiction. President Biden is not campaigning in the state because of rule changes for the Democratic primary calendar, so his views on this topic have been largely absent from the campaign trail. But Republicans have been talking about it a lot, and their response to the crisis has largely focused on cutting off the supply of illegal drugs.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
NIKKI HALEY: We go and we say to them, we’re going to end normal trade relations with you until you stop killing Americans.
DONALD TRUMP: If you give the death penalty to drug dealers, you will have no more problems.
RON DESANTIS: We’re going to shoot them stone-cold dead right at that southern border.
SUMMERS: That was former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Some New Hampshire residents say the candidates aren’t talking enough about treatment and recovery. We’re joined now by Paul Cuno-Booth with New Hampshire Public Radio. Hi, Paul.
PAUL CUNO-BOOTH, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: Paul, so all eyes are on the state of New Hampshire ahead of next week’s primaries, and we just heard a snippet of what Republican candidates have been saying across the state. Tell us a bit about what you’ve been hearing.
CUNO-BOOTH: Yeah. So they often bring up fentanyl when talking about the southern border, linking the issue to fears about unauthorized immigration. Now, I should note federal immigration officials say the vast majority of drugs coming over the border are actually being smuggled through legal points of entry mostly by U.S. citizens and other legal residents, not by migrants crossing…
Read the full article here