Story perspectives
Trump's Drug War: $1 Trillion Spent, Little Progress
10/4/2025
31 7
1 of 1
Story summary
- Donald Trump’s war on drugs fails due to persistent demand and underfunded treatment; only 10% of the budget funds treatment.
- The War on Drugs has cost the United States more than $1 trillion with limited impact.
- Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter pursued moderation, but opposition and rising use reversed those efforts.
- Ronald Reagan's harsh sentencing increased incarceration, especially for Black and Latino communities.
