2024 presidential candidates on opioids and drug issues

2024 presidential candidates on the issues

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Presidential election
Presidential candidates
Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

This page includes statements from the 2024 presidential candidates on opioids and drug issues. These statements were compiled from each candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and debates.

The candidates featured on this page were the noteworthy Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential election. Only candidates who addressed this page's issue on their campaign website, in public statements, or in public speeches have a quote featured on this page. See something we missed? Email us. The active noteworthy presidential candidates as of November 5, 2025, were:

Kamala Harris (D)
Donald Trump (R)
Chase Oliver (L)
Jill Stein (G)

Opioids and drug issues

Democratic candidates

Kamala D. Harris

Harris' campaign website said, "Vice President Harris is committed to ending the opioid epidemic and tackling the scourge of fentanyl. She’s seen the devastating impact of fentanyl on families up close—she has met and mourned with those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses. As Attorney General, she prosecuted drug traffickers, seizing over 10,000 kilos of cocaine and 12,000 pounds of methamphetamine. In the White House, she helped direct more than $150 billion to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs and delivered billions of dollars in investments to states to fund lifesaving programs. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the FDA made the overdose-reversal drug naloxone available over-the-counter. This past year, the number of overdose deaths in the United States declined for the first time in five years. As President, she will sign the bipartisan border bill that will fund detection technology to intercept even more illicit drugs and she’ll keep fighting to end the opioid epidemic." ^{[source, as of 2024-09-09]}

Dean Phillips

Phillips' campaign website said, "He remains a vocal proponent of legislation like HR2366, the STOP Fentanyl Act of 2021, that will expand access to mental health services for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Marianne Williamson

Williamson's campaign website said, "The rate of addiction and drug overdoses is higher in rural America, and most counties don’t have medical professionals who specialize in treating addiction. Telehealth can help deliver treatment for opioid use disorder by making it easier for those suffering from addiction to speak to specialists." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Republican candidates

Ron DeSantis

DeSantis' campaign website said, "I will wage war on narco-trafficking in Mexico and throughout Latin America. I will designate the Mexican drug cartels as Transnational Criminal Organizations, and I will sanction cartels, their leaders, and other entities that provide support for drug trafficking. I will authorize appropriate rules of engagement at the border so that those trying to smuggle drugs into the United States are met with the use of force." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Nikki Haley

In an op-ed Haley wrote, "I will recruit and hire new Border Patrol and ICE workers to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigration. I’ll restart Remain in Mexico and keep Title 42, while ending catch-and-release once and for all. I’ll end sanctuary cities, so that if we don’t stop drug runners at the border, we will stop them in places such as Lawrence. More broadly, I’ll crack down on illegal immigration by instituting a national E-Verify program — like I did as South Carolina’s governor — and end taxpayer-funded handouts to illegal immigrants. Illegal drug-running and illegal immigration go hand in hand, so I’ll tackle this crisis from every angle." ^{[source, as of 2023-03-28]}

Asa Hutchinson

In a Republican debate, Hutchinson said, "As former head of the DEA, I understand the drug crisis in America. And right now, whenever you look at the challenges in our inner — inner-city, there’s three simple words that would be helpful. One, enforce the law when it comes to crime. Secondly, let’s deal with the challenge of fentanyl. And it’s both about stopping the fentanyl coming from Mexico, but it’s also about education of our young people, making sure that we have the tools that are needed for addiction counseling." ^{[source, as of 2023-08-23]}

Vivek Ramaswamy

In an Republican debate, Ramaswamy said, "One is we do have to seal that southern border. Building the wall is not enough. They’re building cartel financed tunnels underneath that wall. Semi-trucks can drive through them. We have to use our own military to seal the Swiss cheese of a southern border. But we also have to be honest, there’s a demand side problem in this country too, a mental health epidemic." ^{[source, as of 2023-09-27]}

Donald Trump

Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump marshalled the full power of government to stop deadly drugs, opioids, and fentanyl from coming into our country. As a result, drug overdose deaths declined nationwide for the first time in nearly 30 years. Joe Biden has allowed drug cartels to wage war on America, steal innocent lives, and ravage our communities. President Trump will take down the drug cartels just as he took down ISIS." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-21]}