Trump's war on drugs includes some notable exceptions

President Donald Trump's war on drugs has been marked by a number of notable exceptions, including the pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, who was serving a 45-year sentence for trafficking over 500 tons of cocaine into the United States.

In a bizarre move, Trump announced that he would be issuing pardons to Hernández, citing claims from his personal lawyer and advisors that the former Honduran president had been treated "very harshly" by the justice system. However, according to evidence gathered during Hernández's trial, including a machine gun with his name on it and testimony from his brother, who was also involved in the cocaine trafficking scheme, Trump's claims appear to be without merit.

Despite this, Trump has made a habit of pardoning or commuting the sentences of high-profile drug traffickers, including Ross Ulbricht, the owner of Silk Road, a dark web criminal enterprise. In both cases, Trump seems to have prioritized his own personal relationships and loyalty to individuals over justice and public safety.

This approach to the war on drugs is particularly concerning given that many experts argue that it undermines efforts to combat the real threat posed by fentanyl and other opioids, which are primarily smuggled into the United States from Mexico. By pardoning or commuting the sentences of traffickers who have contributed significantly to this problem, Trump appears to be sending a message that these individuals are victims of "deep state" persecution.

In reality, many people serving excessive sentences for drug crimes in America are indeed deserving of mercy, but Trump's approach seems to be driven by personal loyalty and a desire to reward those who align with his own views on the issue. As Will Saletan pointed out at The Bulwark, this is not an uncommon pattern for Trump, who has publicly threatened countries that refuse to let far-right politicians off the hook.

Ultimately, it appears that Trump's war on drugs is as much about him as it is about the policies themselves. By pardoning or commuting the sentences of high-profile drug traffickers, he is sending a message to his base and cementing his reputation as a champion of these individuals, rather than taking a more nuanced approach that prioritizes justice, public safety, and evidence-based policy.

I'm really worried about Trump's pardoning decisions for drug traffickers . It just doesn't add up when you look at the facts. I mean, Hernández was convicted of smuggling 500 tons of cocaine into the US - that's a huge deal! And yet Trump is defending him as if he was unfairly treated? It feels like Trump is more interested in making friends with people who align with his views than actually doing what's right for the country .

I also think it's crazy that he keeps pardoning or commuting sentences for high-profile traffickers without considering the bigger picture. Fentanyl and opioids are a huge problem, and we need to be taking a stronger stance against them. Trump's approach just feels like a bunch of people in his inner circle getting special treatment, which isn't what we need from our leaders .

It's also disturbing that he's using the "deep state" narrative to justify these pardons - it's just not true! We should be focusing on evidence-based policy and doing what's best for the country, not playing politics with people's lives .

I think it's super shady how Trump keeps pardoning or commuting the sentences of high-profile drug traffickers just because they're connected to him. It's like he thinks being friends with these guys is more important than keeping the country safe from their illicit activities . And let's be real, most people serving long sentences for weed and other non-violent crimes don't get the same treatment as these big-time traffickers . Trump's approach just prioritizes his own ego over actual justice and public safety. It's wild to think that he'd rather reward his buddies with pardons than take a more evidence-based approach to tackling the real opioid threat .

this just makes me so frustrated like how can one person get away with all this? it's not right that he's pardoning these people who have committed such horrific crimes just to appease his own ego and now the fentanyl crisis is getting worse because of it... it's like, what are we even doing as a society?

Trump's war on drugs is like a paradox - we're trying to save people from the grip of addiction, but he's over here saving them too... I mean, what's his definition of "saving"? It feels like he's more concerned about being seen as a hero by his fans than actually addressing the problem. We need someone who can separate loyalty from justice, you know? It's like he's trying to rewrite the rules to suit himself. And it's not just about this guy Hernández, it's a broader issue - what happens when we start letting people off the hook for their crimes because they've got connections or are "good guys" in his eyes? Does that really solve anything?

Trump's war on drugs is so whack I mean, come on 45 years for trafficking over 500 tons of cocaine? That's some crazy stuff. And now he's pardoning this guy Juan Orlando Hernández, who's basically a coke kingpin? It's like Trump thinks he's above the law or something. And it's not just Hernández, Ross Ulbricht too, that's wild. What even is Trump's logic here? Is he trying to send a message to his base about loyalty and whatnot? Newsflash, dude: pardoning high-profile drug traffickers isn't exactly the smartest move. By the way, have you guys seen those fentanyl-laced pills? That stuff is deadly. Anyway, Trump's approach just seems so...personalized I mean, I get that we should all be deserving of mercy and whatnot, but this feels like a whole lot of special treatment for his buddies.

omg did you know that avocados are like super expensive in california rn? i was reading about it online and it said they're like 20 dollars a pop or something crazy like that what's up with that?! anyway back to trump and his pardons... idk man, it just seems weird that he's always trying to help out people who did some pretty bad stuff. and what's with all the "deep state" conspiracy theories? can someone explain it to me in simple terms?

Trump's war on drugs is just another example of him being Trump . He thinks he can just pardon anyone who does something shady for him and suddenly they're heroes? Newsflash, dude: it doesn't work that way. And what really grinds my gears is how he uses this as a way to flex his muscles with his base, like a big ol' show of loyalty and power . Meanwhile, people are dying from fentanyl and opioids left and right . Can we please just focus on solving the real problem here instead of coddling these bad guys?