Trump team may file suit over opioids

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a federal lawsuit against certain companies that supply and manufacture opioids.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Trump said he’s directing Sessions to file a separate lawsuit, rather than joining existing lawsuits filed by states affected by the spread of the often-lethal, highly addictive drugs.

Trump also asked Sessions to look out for opioids coming into the U.S. from China and Mexico, saying those countries are “sending their garbage and killing our people.”

Trump added: “It’s almost a form of warfare.”

It was not immediately clear if or when a federal suit would be filed. A barrage of suits have been filed nationwide against distributors and manufacturers in recent months amid the opioid epidemic.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, the Republican candidate for governor, welcomed Trump’s pronouncement as “great news.”

His office sued opioid manufacturers in Ross County last year and added a lawsuit against distributors earlier this year in Madison County.

“With the addition of the federal government, I believe that this would only accelerate the momentum and add to the pressure for these companies to finally take responsibility for marketing these addictive drugs,” DeWine said in a written statement.