The Senate on Friday passed a Trump-admin backed bill that would further enable law enforcement to crack down on fentanyl trafficking.
In an 84-16 vote, the Senate passed the HALT Fentanyl Act (Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act), which would make traffickers of fentanyl analogues, substances that have been altered so as to not technically be fentanyl, subject to the same criminal penalties as fentanyl dealers. The bill would also make fentanyl-related substances permanently classified as Schedule 1 controlled substances.
“The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives,” Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/senate-overwhelmingly-passes-grassley-led-halt-fentanyl-act-to-permanently-schedule-fentanyl-related-substances">said</a> after the vote. “I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support. I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research and support our brave men and women in blue.”
All 16 opponents of the bill were Democrats, some of whom were opposed to the aspect that allowed for harsher criminal sentences. It was backed by a host of law enforcement groups including the National Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations.
The bill was first introduced in January by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Grassley, and Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich (NM).
According to a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/331">summary</a> of the bill, “offenses involving fentanyl-related substances are triggered by the same quantity thresholds and subject to the same penalties as offenses involving fentanyl analogues (e.g., offenses involving 100 grams or more trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum prison term).”
Cassidy told reporters on a call Friday morning that the bill would allow law enforcement to go after fentanyl analogs because those are still addictive and “can still kill,” saying that officers could confiscate fentanyl analogs.
Sen. James Lankford (R–OK) said in the same call that there were still a lot of avenues, especially stopping it at both the southern and northern borders, that needed to be pursued to stop the ongoing crisis as tens of thousands of Americans die from fentanyl-related deaths every year.
The bill heads to the House, which passed a similar bill last year &#8212; though it didn’t go anywhere in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/halt_fentanyl_omb_endorsement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaled</a> that it strongly supports the legislation as cracking down on the flow of fentanyl has been a top priority for President Donald Trump.

HEALTH-US-DRUGS-FENTANYL-CHINA-MEXICO

Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Fentanyl Trafficking Bill: ‘Critical Step Toward Ending The Crisis’

Chuck Grassley

Congress

Drugs

Fentanyl

Law Enforcement

Politics

Senate

Trump Administration

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett argued on Sunday that the administration&#8217;s tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China were not about a trade war, but a drug war.
Hassett made the remarks during a Sunday interview on ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week&#8221; when asked what was driving President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision-making on the matter.
&#8220;What happened was that we launched a drug war, not a trade war, and it was part of a negotiation to get Canada and Mexico to stop shipping fentanyl across our borders,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And as we&#8217;ve watched them make progress on the drug war, then we&#8217;ve relaxed some of the tariffs that we put on them because they&#8217;re making progress. And so, that drug war is something that&#8217;s been going on since really the beginning of the Trump administration.&#8221;
He said that the administration was going to release a study in April highlighting the harm done to the American economy by foreign nations that have placed tariffs on products from the United States.
&#8220;Between now and then, we&#8217;ve got the drug war which we&#8217;re hopefully going to solve by the end of the month,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Hopefully, that we&#8217;ll actually round up, you know, the people in the cartels and stop the flow of fentanyl that&#8217;s killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, and then we&#8217;ll be focused on the reciprocal thing.&#8221;
&#8220;And now on the reciprocal thing, remember that just about every country on Earth charges a much higher tariff than we do,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And so, when we pass an act that says that we&#8217;re going to have the same tariff they charge us, then you&#8217;re covering it as if the only possible outcome is that our tariffs go up. But maybe they decide to go down, right?&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We launched a drug war, not a trade war — and it was part of a negotiation to get Canada and Mexico to stop shipping fentanyl across our borders,&#8221; Pres. Trump’s economic adviser Kevin Hassett says of the administration’s tariffs. <a href="https://t.co/vbFR5Md1S9">https://t.co/vbFR5Md1S9</a> <a href="https://t.co/C2qC94yDx2">pic.twitter.com/C2qC94yDx2</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1898733502754881536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>

Key Speakers At Conservative Political Action Conference

White House Official: U.S. Imposing Tariffs As Part Of ‘Drug War,’ Not ‘Trade War’

Drug Cartels

Economy

Tariffs

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview over the weekend that America&#8217;s enemies are flooding the country&#8217;s streets with fentanyl in — part because they are trying to kill Americans.
Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan while talking about President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to stop the flow of drugs coming into the U.S.
She said that the Trump&#8217;s tariffs on Canada and Mexico were really about fentanyl, not just the economy.
&#8220;I think the president obviously wants a strong economy, obviously wants better trade deals as well,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But this is about fentanyl and what we can do to stop the cartels from partnering with Chinese officials, laundering money and bringing a poison into our country that is specifically designed to kill the next generation.&#8221;
&#8220;I think a lot of people don&#8217;t understand the strategy of these enemies of the United States and what they&#8217;re utilizing,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;They are bringing this in, not just to make money. They&#8217;re bringing it in here to kill Americans. And it&#8217;s time that we stand up for the people that live here and make sure that we&#8217;re stopping this war against our children.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump&#8217;s decision to hit Canada with tariffs &#8220;really is about fentanyl,&#8221; says Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
&#8220;The president obviously wants a strong economy, obviously wants better trade deals as well,&#8221; she says. &#8220;But this is about fentanyl.&#8221;
She says… <a href="https://t.co/WCahvBGzwQ">pic.twitter.com/WCahvBGzwQ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1898763012019741021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>

Nominees For Deputy DHS Secretary And Deputy OMB Director Testify In Senate Hearing

Noem: America’s Enemies Intentionally Bring Fentanyl To U.S. ‘To Kill Americans’

border security

Kristi Noem

AUSTIN, Texas – The chosen political slogan of Mexico’s last and current president, “Abrazos, no balazos” (“<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-f4c29ad0e3014ca3a4cffccfe4cac1d4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hugs, not Bullets”),</a> is often embraced to describe official government policy toward the country’s ultra-violent drug-trafficking cartels. The beauty of this slogan is that it requires no explanation.
The reverse, however, “Bullets, not Hugs,” is probably up next whether Mexico likes it or not. President Donald Trump has just forced Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to capitulate to a threat of ruinous 25% trade tariffs on Mexican exports unless she uses military force to suppress the flow of fentanyl (and illegal immigrant smuggling) over the U.S. southern border. She’s deploying 10,000 troops to cartel country, right smack in the drug-trafficking lanes of Mexico’s far northern precincts along the U.S. border.
This deployment of Mexican troops, however, is quite different from previous ones, in which the main mission was to slow illegal immigration only, including during Trump’s first term and throughout the Biden term. For this one, the Trump mission demand is, as State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-call-with-mexican-foreign-secretary-de-la-fuente/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put it recently</a>, that Mexico needs to “&#8230;dismantle transnational criminal organizations, halt illegal migration, and stem the flow of fentanyl and precursor chemicals from China.”
That American priority has just put Mexican forces in the crosshairs of the most sensitive cartel hotspot: the blood-soaked zone between heavily armed cartel forces and their money just across the U.S. border.
<div id="attachment_873419" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873419" class="size-large wp-image-873419" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146140-1-864x576.jpg" alt="CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 06: Mexican National Guard patrol along the U.S.-Mexico border on February 06, 2025 near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of troops deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146140-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146140-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146140-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146140-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />John Moore/Getty Images</div>
As if this was not provocative enough on its own, a senior Trump official with direct knowledge told me bilateral plans call for at least some of the more trusted of Mexico’s forces to physically attack cartel-run narcotics depots that would include pre-smuggling fentanyl hubs inside Mexico.
Certain U.S. intelligence groups are working with the Mexican government “to give them an exact laydown. They say they’re going to target the narcotics. We’re literally still at the table.”
All of this should prove triggering, literally, to any of Mexico’s nine main cartels once the whole enterprise ramps up in earnest.
I have a good feel for what this set of circumstances portends. As a reporter for Hearst News in San Antonio, Texas, from 2006-2009, <a href="https://www.toddbensman.com/category/archives/other-border-security-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I regularly covered the exceptionally bloody civil drug war</a> against the cartels that Felipe de Jesus Calderón Hinojosa (2006-2012) declared and which, after hundreds of thousands of Mexican casualties, spawned the popularly preferred “Hugs, not Bullets” policies of his successors. <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/mexicos-long-war-drugs-crime-and-cartels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The U.S. partnered with Mexico throughout the war</a>, providing targeting intelligence and billions of dollars to modernize its security forces. All of that was for a quest to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
But after six years of ferocious combat and widespread torture and assassination, Mexico retreated in almost total defeat. The drug flow may have dipped from time to time but it never stopped.
In the years since, I’ve often pondered whether Calderón and his successors should have trebled down when defeat seemed inevitable, as did former President George W. Bush during the Iraq war. When the chips were down amid calls for a humiliating U.S. withdrawal during the Iraq war, Bush famously turned the tables by deploying 30,000 more troops. With Mexico, however, disrupting fentanyl production and trafficking with the military will not be easy, and may very well spark another government-cartel war similar to 2006-2012.
<div id="attachment_873423" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873423" class="size-large wp-image-873423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146249-864x576.jpg" alt="CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 06: Mexican troops patrol the U.S.-Mexico border on February 06, 2025 near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of soldiers deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146249-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146249-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146249-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198146249.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />John Moore/Getty Images</div>
The stars and planets all seem to be aligning for more violence, including from an unexpected quarter: President Sheinbaum herself may be aching for this fight.
Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez, a Mexico-born and educated national security research professor for the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California said Sheinbaum has installed anti-cartel Morena Party hardliners over much of Mexico&#8217;s state security apparatuses. This wing of her party, Nieto-Gomez explained, has been spoiling to shed the &#8220;Hugs, not bullets&#8221; policy for a good hard fight with the cartels.
Trump is now providing a &#8220;top-cover&#8221; excuse for them to finally exert the military pressure they&#8217;ve been wanting.
&#8220;Trump&#8217;s actions have temporarily tilted the playing field in favor of Morena,&#8221; Nieto-Gomez said. &#8220;With the right philosophy and the right level of American support, we may see a different type of violence in Mexico.&#8221;
Perhaps a worthy achievable goal for Mexican military fireworks is that it forces a sort of devil’s truce where the cartels, whose leaders are the most consummate and pragmatic of capitalists, ultimately agree to voluntarily quit fentanyl altogether as a good business decision — if the other drugs are allowed to roll in as usual. After all, when the operatives are shooting and dying, they’re spending rather than earning.
What seems certain, however, is that Trump’s inevitable following through on his campaign promises to suppress fentanyl ups the chances of a conflict between the Mexican military and the cartels. No doubt the cartels are now feeling uncharacteristically pinched these days on many other fronts thanks to Trump’s return. 
<div id="attachment_873425" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873425" class="size-large wp-image-873425" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145991-864x576.jpg" alt="CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 06: Mexican National Guard patrol the U.S.-Mexico border on February 06, 2025 near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of troops deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145991-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145991-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145991-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145991.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />John Moore/Getty Images</div>
Trump has asked his Secretary of State to designate them as foreign terrorist organizations, which would open authorities for America and its allies to seize assets and prosecute banks and people who work with the cartels on serious “material support” crimes. To isolate and weaken them where it counts, in the pocketbook, and disrupt their global operations.
And, of course, Trump has all but killed the biggest cash cow those cartels have seen in years by shuttering the southern border almost hermetically in a matter of days. Their smugglers are moving probably fewer than 500 illegal immigrants a day now, most of them caught and deported right away, compared to 14,000 a day last December. Those numbers are a catastrophe and should drive the cartels to invest everything they have in drug trafficking again.
Because they are now free from babysitting and processing illegal migrants all day long, Border Patrol is back on the drug traffickers full force and they have help, the U.S. military is down there glassing the landscape and using surveillance assets to spot the traffickers.
Some of the cartels were already so frustrated their leaders approved the use of drones to attack U.S. agents standing in the way of drug loads. Cases of firearms attacks on Border Patrol are rising.
Now Mexico’s going to put 10,000 troops in between them and their money?
If she is not already, Sheinbaum should be preparing for the worst right about now. President Trump absolutely expects some kind of real action — with demonstrable results — or else he’ll push that tariff button. She’s under pressure right now to produce something, anything, whether for show or not. And the cartels are ever ready to go to war.
Thanks to former President Joe Biden’s mass migration program, it could very well happen, because now the impulsive, brazen, money-hungry cartels are are extremely <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11563659/Mexicos-cartels-getting-rich-powerful-Bidens-mass-migration-crisis-TODD-BENSMAN.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">well-armed from the billions they all earned</a> over the past four years.
<div id="attachment_873427" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873427" class="size-full wp-image-873427" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145781.jpg" alt="CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 06: Mexican National Guard troops patrol the bank of the Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexico border on February 06, 2025 near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of troops deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145781.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145781-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2198145781-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />John Moore/Getty Images</div>
Sheinbaum undoubtedly discerns the dangers here and will have to tread carefully between appeasing Trump and sparking another all-out civil war, which many in the United States believe is long overdue. And maybe it is. She and all the cartel leaders would probably feel lucky to cap things down to merely a “splendid little war” like the 1898 Spanish-American war.
But President Trump knows the art of the deal often pivots on what’s good business for everyone involved.
Mexico’s 2006-2012 war shows the cartels will more than likely survive whatever fireworks are coming, if any. Trump may make them realize sooner rather than later that they just have to give up the fentanyl.
* * *
Todd Bensman is a Senior National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a two-time <a href="https://www.toddbensman.com/awards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Press Club award winner.</a> He is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a 23-year veteran newspaper reporter. He is the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Covert-Border-War-Infiltration/dp/1642937258/ref=sr_1_2?crid=BP7S7BH2VBFB&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.O6ZnUZYfSlVsoiHcdjPhFHfMHLUTDwW2ZnKSAJboBbE5kdYf_h7sD08-h6YkTqOaoX3BwNswbUMPbnTbwQYA0OPgQiI3nLoLjosQWsEhFf5KFAPB4F0DTwUsSoJFgmaEF7V1rMQnOPvLvOLapFQ1ESD-D7UVwCNHsSGEs2XzEa9rmO1CLoVV277SrmlPOkJf.15UkCaAoqCyd7hpP16dl7D3_ZWawrd1RcN3D_ZSFo4w&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=todd+bensman&amp;qid=1730314546&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=todd+bensman%2Cstripbooks%2C100&amp;sr=1-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America’s Covert Border War</a>,” and “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Overrun-Unleashed-Greatest-Border-History-ebook/dp/B0BS1R9LCP?ref_=ast_author_dp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History</a>.”
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Mexican Military Deploys On US-Mexico Border Following Trump Tariff Threats

Will Mexico Face A Hot Shooting War With The Cartels?

Border Crisis

Cartels

Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico

President Trump

Southern Border

The big story of the weekend was that President Trump launched massive tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico. 
The big question when it comes to tariffs is whether President Trump is using them as leverage or whether he&#8217;s doing this ideologically. This is always the big question with President Trump, because by using them as leverage, he&#8217;s been quite successful. When it comes to making deals, there is no one in the business world who&#8217;s better at leverage than President Trump.
President Trump loves using leverage to get what he wants. He did this just a couple of weeks ago with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-goes-full-fafo">Colombia</a>. He threatened them with 25% tariffs and said they would escalate unless they took back illegal immigrants; they immediately caved. 
And that seems to be happening with Mexico and Canada. 
As of Monday, President Trump was sending some strong signals. He said, “Listen, I like tariffs. Tariffs are going out.”
When you&#8217;re playing chicken, you put a brick on the accelerator and say, “Listen, I&#8217;m perfectly happy to go off this cliff. Let&#8217;s do this thing, man. Let&#8217;s make it happen.”
Trump talks up tariffs as a way of saying, “Listen, I don&#8217;t mind, we&#8217;ll do it. You think we won&#8217;t do it? We will 100% do it. It&#8217;s not a bluff. I&#8217;m happy. I&#8217;d rather do it.” And then, when he gets what he wants, he can back off the tariffs.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2130-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
We found out on Monday morning that the tariffs were anything but permanent. In fact, President Trump was able to leverage major concessions out of the Mexican government. 
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
<blockquote>I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country. We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico. I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a “deal” between our two Countries.</blockquote>
Remember, President Trump used his emergency authority to stop fentanyl and all illegal immigration in order to make the tariffs happen. He&#8217;s now saying that because Mexico is alleviating the emergency, presumably this is going to be delayed by a month, so a new trade deal can be negotiated.
So it was all leverage. It was not, in fact, an overall love for tariffs.
Meanwhile, he made clear exactly what he wanted from Canada. He wrote:
<blockquote>Canada doesn’t even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there. What’s that all about? Many such things, but it’s also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the Borders of Mexico and Canada. Just spoke to Justin Trudeau. Will be speaking to him again at 3:00 P.M.</blockquote>
Using tariffs as a form of leverage is something President Trump is very good at.
As for overall tariff policy, it should be noted, trade wars are bad and not easy to win. Trade wars tend to impoverish people. Trade wars tend to impoverish the American consumer, in particular.
That’s why we saw the stock market take a dive at the very beginning of the day when it looked as though Trump was pushing tariff policy as a net good to the United States.
But it’s clear that President Trump is doing this as a leverage play.
The Canadian government responded by getting very militant. Justin Trudeau, who is still titularly the prime minister of Canada, announced <a href="https://x.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1885879140446011591" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retaliatory tariffs</a> right away, saying:
<blockquote>Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the U.S. trade action with 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days’ time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.</blockquote>
And then, on Monday afternoon, Trudeau suddenly capitulated. He <a href="https://x.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1886529228193022429">wrote on X</a>:
<blockquote>I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border. In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million. Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together.</blockquote>
A trade war would hurt Canada more than it would hurt us; if they tariff American products, they&#8217;re taxing their own consumers.
But this is what happens in a trade war. You increase your tariffs. The other countries being targeted increase their tariffs to retaliate because they say, “We&#8217;re not going to let your goods in our market. You&#8217;re not letting our goods in your market.”
Then, if this sort of thing were to be carried out over a long period of time, it would be a real problem, because China, in particular, would be more than happy to fill that gap with cheap free trade with Canada, Mexico, or Europe.
But when it comes to playing chicken, President Trump is very, very good. Mexico is sending 10,000 troops to the border and pledging to stop the flow of fentanyl. Canada is now doing the same.
These are big wins for President Trump.
There&#8217;s no other way to put it.

President Trump Signs Executive Orders In The Oval Office

Trump: The Expert At Using Leverage

Ben Shapiro

Canada

China

Donald Trump

Opinion

Trade War

Trade networks in North America are under stress after Canada and Mexico promised to raise import duties on goods from the United States in response to tariffs from the same.
Though President Donald Trump promotes tariffs as an antidote to trade deficits and shrinking domestic industry, the budding trade war in North America has little to do with trade. Washington has accused its international neighbors of not doing enough to combat drug cartels and human traffickers, and that failure has had harmful spillover effects on the United States.
As a result, Trump has demanded Canada and Mexico crack down on cartels and illicit drug makers or suffer a 25% tariff on all exports to their number one trading partner, except for Canadian energy, which will be under a lesser 10% tariff. The tariffs, originally set to go into effect this week, are already being delayed.
Talks over the tariffs began on Monday with Trump speaking with Trudeau at least twice and Mexico now agreeing to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/03/trump-tariffs-mexico-canada-china-sheinbaum-responds.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">send up to 10,000 troops</a> to police its border with the U.S.
“Mexico sends [a] ton of fentanyl into our country. Canada has seen a massive increase in fentanyl trafficking across its border. There are three ways of stopping this. The first is [to] ask nicely, which we’ve done. It’s gone nowhere,” Vice President JD Vance posted on Sunday. “Now we’re on to the consequences phase.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mexico sends ton of fentanyl into our country. Canada has seen a massive increase in fentanyl trafficking across its border. There are three ways of stopping this. The first is ask nicely, which we’ve done. It’s gone nowhere. 
Now we’re on to the consequences phase.
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1886093413113643160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Canada and Mexico coordinated over the weekend to announce their own plans for 25% retaliatory tariffs on a slate of American imports. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would target $155 billion-worth of U.S. goods. The details of Mexico’s response have not been finalized, but officials are considering a carousel tariff that would rotate to different U.S. goods, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/canada-mexico-want-america-to-feel-the-pain-of-tariffs-too-f8119ccd?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
“The coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians, and they will be difficult for Americans. The level of cooperation, the level of effective partnerships between our two countries that have been established over decades and generations means that this trade action by the Americans and our response is going to have real consequences,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau <a href="https://x.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1885873761343480109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters.
Those consequences are projected to fall much more heavily on Canada and Mexico than the United States, an outcome that Trump likely intends to use as leverage in negotiations.
While the United States <a href="https://wits.worldbank.org/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sends</a> about a third of its exports to its northern and southern neighbors, Canada and Mexico send about 80% of their exports to the U.S. International trade also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comprises</a> much larger portions of Canada’s and Mexico’s economies than the United States’.
If just the U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico were implemented, U.S. consumers would suffer an extra half-point of inflation over the next year, <a href="https://www.piie.com/microsites/2025/future-usmca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to projections from the Peterson Institute for International Economics. The added inflation is likely to be concentrated in certain affected goods, such as fuel.
In contrast, Canada and Mexico would suffer an extra 1.7 and 2.3 points in inflation, respectively. The tariffs could also devastate some of their largest industries, such as vehicle manufacturing and oil and gas, because of the extent to which both countries rely on American markets.
The negative effects of tariffs projected by the Peterson Institute will be magnified with the addition of tariffs going from Canada and Mexico on exports from the U.S., according to experts.
To ratchet down trade tensions between the three countries that in 2019 signed the USMCA trade agreement, the White House has demanded action against drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
Mexico and its drug cartels are major pipelines for illegal drug smuggling and human trafficking into the United States. Canada has been, as well, to a much lesser extent. Trudeau appeared surprised that Trump initiated tariffs against Canada because of the flow of drugs and illegal immigration coming from Canada.
“We have one of the strongest, most secure borders between Canada and the United States. As I said, less than one percent of fentanyl going into the United States comes from Canada, less than one percent of illegal migrants going into the United States come from Canada,” Trudeau told reporters over the weekend.
The illicit movement and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fentanyl-produced-in-canada-1.7275200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drugs</a> and <a href="https://cis.org/Bensman/Canadian-Policy-Behind-Surge-Illegals-and-Mexican-Cartel-Operatives-Northern-Border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people</a> into the U.S. from Canada has surged in recent years, though it still remains low relative to the U.S. southern border.
Over the weekend, Trump and Vance have added on to the list of grievances with Canada its failure to meet NATO obligations on military spending and restrictions on imports from the U.S. as well as other issues.
&#8220;Canada has been very abusive of the United States for many years,” Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-defends-tariffs-accuses-canada-being-very-abusive-united-states-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Saturday. “I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada and something is going to happen there.”
The White House accused Mexico of collaborating with the drug cartels that operate widely throughout the country. The collaboration has been widely recognized in Washington, though a formal accusation against the Mexican government has not been made until now.
“The Mexican DTOs have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico. This alliance endangers the national security of the United States, and we must eradicate the influence of these dangerous cartels from the bilateral environment,” Trump’s February 1 <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-duties-to-address-the-situation-at-our-southern-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> directing tariffs on Mexico says.
“The government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of illicit drugs, which collectively have led to the overdose deaths of hundreds of thousands of American victims,” the order continues.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the White House’s accusation “slander,” <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mexico-us-claim-cartel-alliance-slander-vows-tariff-retaliation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious consumption of fentanyl in their country, they can combat the sale of narcotics on the streets of their main cities, which they don&#8217;t do, and the money laundering generated by this illegal activity that has done so much harm to their population,” Sheinbaum said.

Trudeau Holds Press Conference As Trump Signs 25% Tariffs On Canada and Mexico

Everything You Need To Know About Trump’s Tariffs And The Brewing North American Trade War

Everything You Need To Know About Trump's Tariffs And The Brewing North American Trade War

Justin Trudeau

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that he had a &#8220;very good&#8221; call with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping discussing major issues between the countries as Trump prepares to hit the ground running in his second term.
According to Trump, the two leaders addressed &#8220;balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. &#8221; The incoming Trump administration&#8217;s relationship with China will be in the spotlight after Trump is sworn in on Monday. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to levy 60% tariffs on goods from China, a significant increase from his first term.
Trump also said he discussed the controversial Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok with Xi just before the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-allows-tiktok-ban-to-take-effect?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> on Friday morning that the TikTok ban passed by Congress could go into effect this weekend. Trump is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/us/politics/trump-tiktok-executive-order.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> considering an executive order to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. Following the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling, if TikTok&#8217;s parent company — China-based ByteDance — does not sell the social media platform, the ban will go into effect on Sunday, January 19.
&#8220;I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113844165549788304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!&#8221;
China will send its vice president, Han Zheng, to Trump&#8217;s inauguration after the president-elect invited Xi to attend. Zheng&#8217;s appearance will mark the first time a high-ranking Chinese official will be in attendance at an inauguration, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/17/china-donald-trump-inauguration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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China&#8217;s state-run media did not provide details about Xi&#8217;s phone conversation with Trump, but the communist country&#8217;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We stand ready to work with the new U.S. government to enhance dialogue and communication … and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other.”
After winning the election in November, Trump <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/17/world/trump-xi-phone-call-us-china-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to dial back his tariff threat on China, saying he would only raise tariffs on Chinese goods by 10% unless the country stops the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
Fentanyl trafficking is the main Chinese drug export and a problem the president-elect has promised to address. According to a 2020 <a href="https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Drug Enforcement Agency, China is &#8220;the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States.&#8221;

Trump Speaks To Xi Jinping About ‘Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok’

Trump Speaks To Xi Jinping About 'Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok'

Executive

Global Politics

TikTok

Xi Jinping

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said on Saturday that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to working with the U.S. on issues that Trump raised earlier this week.
Trump said that his meeting with Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago was &#8220;very productive&#8221; as the two leaders &#8220;discussed many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address, like the Fentanyl and Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration, Fair Trade Deals that do not jeopardize American Workers, and the massive Trade Deficit the U.S. has with Canada.&#8221;
&#8220;I made it very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic, caused mainly by the Drug Cartels, and Fentanyl pouring in from China,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Too much death and hardship! Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families.&#8221;
He said that they also spoke about energy, trade, and the Arctic — issues that he said he would address starting on his first day back in office.
Trudeau posted a photo of the two at a table at Mar-a-Lago and thanked Trump for the dinner.
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&#8220;I look forward to the work we can do together, again,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again. <a href="https://t.co/lAWFMTtQt7">pic.twitter.com/lAWFMTtQt7</a>
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1862952145550475414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
The meeting came after Trump threatened Canada with a 25% tariff unless it did more work to secure its border with the U.S. and cracked down harder on drug trafficking into the U.S.
&#8220;On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,&#8221; he wrote on Monday.
&#8220;This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!&#8221; he added. &#8220;Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!&#8221;

Trump Trudeau

Trump: Canada’s Trudeau Makes ‘Commitment’ To U.S. During Mar-A-Lago Meeting

Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/justin-trudeau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Trudeau</a> said on Tuesday that he had a &#8220;good call&#8221; with President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-unveils-tariff-ultimatums-against-canada-mexico-and-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to impose tariffs on goods from Canada if it did not crack down on the flow of drugs and illegal immigration coming into the United States.
&#8220;I had a good call with Donald Trump last night, again. We obviously talked about laying out the facts, talking about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth. We talked about some of the challenges that we can work on together. It was a good call,&#8221; Trudeau <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1861439035865993448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> on Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
PM Trudeau tells reporters re: phone call with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump after threat to impose 25% tariffs on products from Canada &amp; Mexico: &quot;It was a good call. This is something that we can do, laying out the facts, moving forward in constructive ways.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://t.co/GeJJK0Xrnx">pic.twitter.com/GeJJK0Xrnx</a>
&mdash; CPAC (@CPAC_TV) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC_TV/status/1861421159981687028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is something that we can do. Laying out the facts, moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on, and that’s what we’ll do. One of the really important things is that we be all pulling together on this. The ‘Team Canada’ approach is what works,&#8221; Trudeau added before noting that he spoke with other Canadian leaders and planned a First Ministers&#8217; meeting this week to address the situation.
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In a Monday evening <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113546215051155542?_nlid=5grW7vfxVB&amp;_nhids=emy3uBKWd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump indicated that he would begin his second term with a flurry of executive orders that would include tariffs on Canada, as well as Mexico, calling out the U.S. neighbors and raising concerns about people &#8220;bringing&#8221; crime and drugs across the borders.
&#8220;On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,&#8221; he said.
Trump added: &#8220;This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!&#8221;
With a more combative <a href="https://x.com/ishaantharoor/status/1861451172676047288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also responded to Trump, warning that tariffs the United States implements on Mexico could be followed by similar penalties on U.S. goods.
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&#8220;President Trump, migration and drug consumption in the United States cannot be addressed through threats or tariffs. What is needed is cooperation and mutual understanding to tackle these significant challenges,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;For every tariff, there will be a response in kind, until we put at risk our shared enterprises.&#8221;
In a second <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113546215408213585?_nlid=XDHP6ZQZfB&amp;_nhids=emy3uBKWd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to Truth Social on Monday, Trump took aim at China, promising an &#8220;additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products&#8221; that he said would remain in place until Beijing cracks down on drugs flowing to the U.S. He once again singled out fentanyl.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Trudeau Says He Had A ‘Good Call’ With Trump After Threat Of Tariffs

Illegal Immigration

U.S.

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> threatened on Monday to impose tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico as well as China that will remain in place until they stem the flow of drugs and illegal immigration coming into the United States
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113546215051155542?_nlid=5grW7vfxVB&amp;_nhids=emy3uBKWd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump indicated that he would begin his second term with a flurry of executive orders that would include tariffs on U.S. neighbors.
&#8220;On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,&#8221; he said.
Trump added: &#8220;This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!&#8221;
With a second <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113546215408213585?_nlid=XDHP6ZQZfB&amp;_nhids=emy3uBKWd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, Trump took aim at China, promising a separate tariff that he said would remain in place until Beijing cracks down on drugs flowing to the U.S. He once again singled out fentanyl.
&#8220;I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before.&#8221;
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He continued: &#8220;Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter.&#8221;
Speculation about Trump reigniting trade wars had already sparked discussion about potential economic impacts. With his tariffs announcement on Monday, discussion got underway about the finer details of what the plan might entail.
As <a href="https://x.com/byHeatherLong/status/1861201691561074689" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> on X by Heather Long, an economic columnist for The Washington Post, there are &#8220;a range of tariffs currently on China,&#8221; and therefore it seemed that Trump&#8217;s &#8220;goal&#8221; would be &#8220;35%+.&#8221;
On X, there was a flurry of reactions to Trump&#8217;s tariffs ultimatum.
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, for instance, <a href="https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1861198845574815947">said</a> on X that using tariffs as a political and  foreign policy &#8220;weapon&#8221; aligns with Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; agenda. Tech executive Elon Musk, who has been tapped to help lead Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1861201014772433332">responded</a> to the plan by quipping that the price of fentanyl will &#8220;rise sharply.&#8221;

President-Elect Donald Trump

Trump Unveils Tariff Ultimatums Against Canada, Mexico, And China

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered homeless encampment sweeps across the state after a Supreme Court decision last month gave cities more authority to deal with the issue.
Newsom&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/07/25/governor-newsom-orders-state-agencies-to-address-encampments-in-their-communities-with-urgency-and-dignity/">executive order</a> advises county and city officials to clean up thousands of homeless encampments, although the order does not force officials to do cleanups, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/us/newsom-homeless-california.html#:~:text=The%20directive%20from%20Gov.%20Gavin,authority%20to%20remove%20homeless%20campers." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“The state has been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets,” Newsom <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/us/newsom-homeless-california.html#:~:text=The%20directive%20from%20Gov.%20Gavin,authority%20to%20remove%20homeless%20campers." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
“There are simply no more excuses,” he said. “It’s time for everyone to do their part.”
The Supreme Court ruled last month that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places even if there is not enough shelter space to accommodate them, saying such laws do not violate the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
The original case involved the Oregon town of Grants Pass, which tried to fine people $295 for sleeping outside when tents began crowding the town’s public parks.
Before the court&#8217;s decision, homeless encampments continued to spread in California, Oregon, and Washington while city officials remained limited in what they could do to address the problem, especially since homeless people often refuse shelter beds.
Newsom&#8217;s order reportedly requires state agencies to work with local governments to house homeless people and provide them with services, not simply move them along. Newsom&#8217;s administration has poured about $24 billion into the homeless issue since 2019.
After the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision, Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/06/28/governor-newsom-statement-on-supreme-courts-homeless-encampments-decision/">said</a> the ruling &#8220;provides state and local officials the definitive authority to implement and enforce policies to clear unsafe encampments from our streets.&#8221;
&#8220;This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years and limited their ability to deliver on common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities,&#8221; the governor said at the time, adding that California remains &#8220;committed to respecting the dignity and fundamental human needs of all people.&#8221;
Homelessness has plagued California for years. The state has the highest homeless population in the country by far. About 180,000 people were homeless last year across the state, and about 123,000 are unsheltered on a given night, according to the latest homeless count.
Last week, San Francisco Democratic Mayor London Breed announced the city plans to be “very aggressive and assertive in moving encampments.”
The city has struggled for years with rampant homelessness, crime, and open-air drug use driven by fentanyl, all of which have driven people and businesses out of downtown. About 38,000 people <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rising-crime-homelessness-leave-residents-of-san-francisco-and-oakland-on-edge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are homeless</a> in the Bay Area on a given night. That’s up 35% since 2019.
Homeless encampments near freeways, under overpasses, and near exit ramps have also become so common that California&#8217;s transportation department now has its own protocol and workers for clearing encampments.

California Governor Gavin Newsom Campaigns Against The Recall Attempt In Bay Area

Newsom Issues Executive Order To Remove Homeless Encampments Across California

California

Courts

Gavin Newsom

Homeless

Homelessness

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

The following is an edited transcript of a special <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/fighting-fentanyl-mom-shares-tragic-overdose-story">RNC episode</a> of Morning Wire. Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley sits down with California mom Anne Fundner who brought the tens of thousands of attendees at the Republican National Convention to tears and to their feet on the night of July 16 when she told the tragic story of losing her 15-year-old son Weston to fentanyl. The blame for his death, she said, ultimately falls on President Biden and his administration. 
“I hold Joe Biden, Kamala Harris — the “Border Czar,” what a joke — and Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son,” said Fundner.
* * *
JOHN: Joining us now is Anne Fundner, a mother from California who lost her 15-year-old son to fentanyl and who is putting the blame on President Biden and his administration and the governor of her state, Gavin Newsom. Anne, thank you so much for joining us. You courageously took the stage at the RNC, gave a very powerful, emotional statement about your son and your family and the tragedy you guys suffered. I know it&#8217;s difficult to discuss, but can you tell us about what happened to your son, Weston?
ANNE: Well, Weston was a really good kid. We did everything right. We put him in sports and I was room mom. We had such a great relationship. He was my perfect little bouncing baby boy. He taught me what love was, an unconditional love like I had never known existed other than my own parents. He was my firstborn son, it just teaches you that love is so strong. And for the first time I understood what that meant when I looked at him and held him in my arms. He was my everything. He really was. I was so active in his life, his father was active, both of us. We did the family dinners every night, we had outings together, and fun vacations. We had a nice life. Private school. I think of things like we got him braces. He just had braces. Just everything that you do to set somebody up for the perfect life — 3.5 GPA; football, hockey, friends, you know. And fentanyl still found him because kids fall into peer pressure. And, as many conversations as I had with him, he was a teenager who came into his own independence and decided he wanted to fit in with a new crowd at a new school. He had always gone to private school. He wanted to try public school, too. And I think he just wanted these friends who were just fun. I guess he fell into peer pressure and it got a hold of him and it killed my son.
<div id="attachment_767291" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-767291" class="size-large wp-image-767291" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161729630-864x576.jpg" alt="Anne Fundner speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekend's failed assassination attempt. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161729630-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161729630-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161729630-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2161729630.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
JOHN: You made a striking statement last night. You said, “Look, this is murder.” Can you unpack that for us? Why do you feel that way?
ANNE: Because the people who deal these drugs know that fentanyl kills. When you try fentanyl one time, it is not a question of if you are going to die, it&#8217;s when. Once you try it, it is very hard to get off of it and never do it again. These drug dealers are like sexual predators. They groom children. They know that if they can get a child to try it once, within three hours they&#8217;re going to get withdrawal symptoms that range from bone aches to fevers to cold sweats to bowel issues to headaches — things that make chemotherapy recovery look like a picnic in the park. It&#8217;s a very, very difficult thing on the body. Within two or three hours of the first time of trying it — one time. It&#8217;s 50 times more addictive than crack and these drug dealers know that, and that&#8217;s when they come around and say, “I got what you need to kind of ease this pain.” So if the child survives the first pill, now the drug dealer has a client. And everyone asks, “Why would they want to, like, kill their client?” Because it&#8217;s so addictive, they&#8217;re gonna have business. If they can get someone to try it one time, they&#8217;re gonna have business. So most kids don&#8217;t live more than a couple weeks. When I say it&#8217;s a groomer mentality, they know they can&#8217;t tell their parents. They&#8217;ve gotten them to do something wrong. They&#8217;re afraid. They&#8217;re struggling with an addiction that they never wanted just because they tried something one time — and by the way, they don&#8217;t know they&#8217;re trying fentanyl. They think they&#8217;re trying something like a Percocet or Xanax which are very popular, unfortunately, with kids these days, as a party drug. And it&#8217;s pure fentanyl. There&#8217;s no Xanax. It&#8217;s a pressed pill with blue powder that you can buy off of Amazon or someone who&#8217;s probably on drugs themselves is packing these pills. It&#8217;s like a chocolate chip cookie. There&#8217;s all these little chocolate chips of fentanyl in it, and you don&#8217;t know which side of the cookie is going to have the most fentanyl. If you get that dose, seven out of ten pills are deadly.
JOHN: And for you, were there any warning signs?
ANNE: No. My son was a really good kid. All kids, when they start walking in a high school situation, you want to make sure they&#8217;re making the best choice. We had conversations, you know, hey, that was really not a good choice the other night. But for the most part, nothing that I thought was concerning enough. I&#8217;ll tell you what, I don&#8217;t know if I was just blind or I just never imagined in a million years this would happen.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/fighting-fentanyl-mom-shares-tragic-overdose-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Hear the full interview with Anne Fundner on Morning Wire</a></h4>
JOHN: I&#8217;ve got two young girls. The most terrifying thing to me is this sense that you cannot see this coming. And how sudden this is, and it really struck me when you spoke – that sense, it strikes terror in every parent. Now, you&#8217;ve blamed two administrations, the Biden administration and the Newsom administration for this tragedy. Can you tell us why?
ANNE: Because President Trump had the factories in China closed that produced the precursor chemicals. He had the borders secured as well as he could without some of the Democrat border cities putting a stop to their border walls. But for the most part, he did as much as he could to get that border wall secured. He had ICE. He had everything on lockdown at the border. He was doing everything he could to stop it. Now, there were Democrats that were doing their Democrat thing and not following along with what they&#8217;re supposed to be doing, so fentanyl still got over the border, but he was stopping it. I mean, he really was coming down on this hard and President Xi knew he meant business and he knew that he couldn&#8217;t get away with things with Trump. So when President Biden came in, the border&#8217;s just opened. You saw caravans flooding over. We don&#8217;t even know who these people are coming into our country. The cartels have just run wild. He allowed those China factories to be reopened under the Biden administration. I mean, this is their exasperated tragedy. They did this. There is no way to look around this. They opened the borders. They do nothing, nothing to stop this crisis at all. They did more to stop you from taking ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine during COVID than they are doing to stop people from coming in with fentanyl. And Gavin Newsom, he should be ashamed. He has children, young ones. And California is the wild, wild west. They will find a car of fentanyl, someone drug-running fentanyl, and they arrest them, the judge lets them out and says, “Come back in two weeks.” And how many people do you think come back? These people should be tried for attempted murder. They should. If they kill someone, they should go to jail for life. And look at what Sarah Huckabee Sanders did. She said, “And if you kill a child, you&#8217;re looking at the death penalty.” When you get strict penalties on this, you will see the fentanyl statistics drop dramatically because drug dealers do not want to go to jail and be sentenced to life. My son&#8217;s case was clear cut, on video. They knew who it was, he was the second person this person had murdered — and nothing, not even a slap on the wrist. Nothing happened. And if they&#8217;re not going to prosecute people, then why…? It doesn&#8217;t make sense. It&#8217;s almost like they want this to happen. Our youth have so many challenges, lots of indoctrination going on. It&#8217;s just one more thing they&#8217;re doing to hurt us and bring down our youth.
<div id="attachment_767295" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-767295" class="size-large wp-image-767295" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2162341041-864x576.jpg" alt="MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 16: Anne Fundner reacts while speaking on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2162341041-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2162341041-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2162341041-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2162341041.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</div>
JOHN: It&#8217;s not only hard to hear the tragedy, it is very hard to hear that there&#8217;s no accountability, that there are actually no repercussions for these horrific crimes, as you&#8217;ve described. What can be done to reverse this?
ANNE: Close the borders, number one. Shut the borders. Let&#8217;s increase our ICE officers because they&#8217;re no resources there. Biden has just done a number on ICE. He took away the fentanyl machines that were at the ports of entry, which is a secondary kind of precaution. Because drug dealers don&#8217;t go through the front door, right? He did put some of those back in this weak fentanyl bill. That&#8217;s all he did in the fentanyl bill. But he did give money to Ukraine in that bill — and that&#8217;s really what that bill was about. It was such a weak bill, it was embarrassing. The cartels need to be labeled foreign terrorist organizations. This is a war on American soil and more people are dying than from all of our recent wars combined. On American soil. On 9/11 we attacked a country because they killed 3,000 people on American soil. Where is the attack on the cartels? They are killing our children. And why aren&#8217;t we holding China accountable? Shut those factories again. Fentanyl needs to be considered a weapon of mass destruction. And every community needs harsh, strict laws. You want to deal fentanyl? You&#8217;re going to jail. Period. Zero tolerance whatsoever. You&#8217;re going to jail. And if you kill someone, you&#8217;re going to jail for life or looking at the death penalty. And if you kill a child, you will look at the death penalty. These people know what they&#8217;re doing. They know what they&#8217;re doing. And they&#8217;re still pushing it on our children. They don&#8217;t care about your kids. They don&#8217;t care if they die. These pills come to your door for $7.50. Through Snapchat, through Instagram. They are ordering them online. Underneath your doorstep, leave $7.50 and they&#8217;ll come straight to you. They know they have an income. They have so many clients. And they&#8217;re all expendable. And there&#8217;s more behind them.
JOHN: As you have made clear, this is a true crisis. Something has to change. Thank you so much for sharing your personal tragedy so that some action can be taken. Thank you for joining us.
ANNE: Thank you for having me.