President Trump said Monday he will look into a report that his pick for drug czar championed a bill that weakened federal enforcement of shady drug distributors.
“We are gonna look into the report and we are gonna take it very seriously,” Trump said of the Washington Post’s report on a law supported by Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa. He is the president’s nominee to serve as drug czar.
The Post reported that the law championed by Marino and the drug industry would have weakened DEA enforcement of shady distributors that provide painkillers to corrupt pharmacies and doctors.
“He’s a good man and I have not spoken to him but I will speak to him to make that determination,” Trump said at a joint press conference Monday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Trump added if Marino is “one percent negative to doing what we are going to do, then I will make a change.”
Trump also teased he will have a “major announcement” next week on the drug crisis. He didn’t elaborate on what exactly the announcement would be but it could be the declaration of a national emergency on the opioid crisis.
Trump declared in August that he would make the opioid crisis a national emergency, but the White House has not formally done a declaration.
