Trump leaves people baffled by claiming almost the entire US population died from drug overdoses last year

Donald Trump gave a rather confusing response when defending a military operation attacking alleged drug traffickers.

Trump insisted, prior to becoming president for the second time, that he would be tough on drugs and countries that allow criminals to get them into the US.

At the beginning of this month, he announced on social media that the US had undergone a successful military operation involving alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua transporting drugs on a boat.

The POTUS said the vessel was in international waters and transporting illegal narcotics bound for the States.

This military operation resulted in the deaths of 11 ‘terrorists’ transporting the drugs.

On September 2, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Earlier this morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.

If 300 million Americans had died from drugs last year, about 9 out of every 10 Americans would be dead.

The actual number of American deaths from overdose last year, according to the CDC, was 80,000 — still terribly high, but nothing like what the president said. https://t.co/ldarDphqFQ

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) September 14, 2025