Trump Suggests China-Style Death Penalty For Drug Dealers

President Donald Trump complimented China’s “maximum penalty” for “drug dealers” at an event this week, suggesting that the policy has led to the country having a”very little drug problem.”

The president’s turnaround comes just over a week after his Super Bowl ad bragged about his strides towards criminal justice reform. At the event, which was filled with governors from across the country, Trump took the opportunity to praise China’s policy, and praised some of the governors in front of him.

“States with a very powerful death penalty on drug dealers don’t have a drug problem,” Trump said, then added, “I don’t know if our country is ready for that.”

Trump’s Super Bowl ad, which many supporters thought it praised the president’s effort on criminal justice reform, featured Alice Marie Johnson. In the ad, she appeared thanking the president for granting her clemency, or executive mercy, after she’d been in prison for more than 20 years on drug-related charges. 

In his speech, he also predicted that the coronavirus, which has infected over 40,000 people, will come to an end with warmer weather. “The heat, generally speaking, kills this kind of virus,” he said. He also added that the United States was doing well in terms of dealing with the virus. “We’re in great shape though, we have 12 cases, 11 cases, but we’re in very good shape.”