Trump, Christie pledge to combat nation’s opioid addiction
Washington — President Donald Trump is vowing to step up efforts to combat the nation’s opioid addiction crisis, and he’s tapped New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to lead the fight.
Trump convened an emotional roundtable Wednesday with Christie, members of his Cabinet, law enforcement chiefs, recovering addicts and advocates. It was the first public event tied to the launch of a new addiction commission that Christie, a longtime Trump friend and formal rival, will chair.
Trump listened intently as Vanessa Vitolo and AJ Solomon, two recovering addicts from New Jersey, described their harrowing battles with substance abuse. Both became hooked on prescription pain killers, and quickly transitioned to heroin.
Trump also heard from a mother whose son died from an overdose after a long battle with addition. Her son, Trump told the mother, hadn’t died in vain.
“We want to help those who have become so badly addicted. Drug abuse has become a crippling problem throughout the United States,” said Trump, citing statistics that show drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the country. “This is a total epidemic and I think it’s probably, almost un-talked about compared to the severity that we’re witnessing.”
Christie, a longtime friend of the president, headed Trump’s presidential transition before he was unceremoniously replaced by incoming Vice President Mike Pence in the days after the election due to disagreements over its direction.
While the governor has long maintained that he plans to complete his last year in office before moving to the private sector, speculation remains that he is eyeing a top job in the administration, and people close to him have said he is open to potentially joining it one day.
Christie told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday that he has “no interest in having a permanent role” in the Trump administration at this time, but that he was happy to spearhead the anti-drug effort.
Christie has made the issue of addiction a centerpiece of his administration and spoke extensively about it during his own presidential bid. He has dedicated his final year in office to addressing the drug crisis. Last month, he signed legislation that limits first-time opioid prescriptions to five days’ worth of drugs and requires state-regulated health insurers to cover at least six months of substance abuse treatment.
“This issue causes enormous pain and destruction to everyday families in every state in this country,” said Christie, who has been working behind the scenes with White House officials since shortly after Trump’s inauguration.