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As voters prepare to hear from former President Donald Trump in his first town hall on CNN Wednesday night in Manchester, New Hampshire, they will be listening for policy proposals among the political rhetoric.
So far, the campaign has been light on policy, focusing more on Trump as a figurehead in Republican politics. But, one of Donald Trump’s few 2024 presidential campaign promises: institute the death penalty for drug traffickers, smugglers and dealers. It’s an approach in stark contrast with much of the world — it’s also a violation of international human rights laws.
This extreme position on drug offenses came right out of the gate with Trump’s candidacy. During his campaign announcement last November, the former president drummed a familiar beat on securing America’s southern border and combating Mexican drug cartels. He didn’t go into detail on his promises, but did outline how he would handle certain drug offenses.
« We’re going to be asking everyone who sells drugs, gets caught selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts, » Trump said. « Because it’s the only way. »
But November wasn’t the first time Trump suggested harsh penalties for drug offenders. It was another event in Manchester when he delivered a similar message as president. Speaking to a crowd at Manchester Community College on March 19, 2018, Trump espoused a strong response to drug crimes:
Using the opioid epidemic as a backdrop at the time, Trump compared penalties for drug dealers and murderers. He claimed some drug dealers will kill thousands of people in their lifetime and that, if caught, they face light sentences: 30 days in jail, « they’ll go away for a year, » he told his supporters, « or they’ll be fined. »
« And yet if you kill one person, you get the death penalty or you go to jail for life. »Details about Trump’s policy aren’t clear
The former president has a history of making brazen policy promises that he did not deliver: having Mexico pay for a wall along the southern border, implementing a nation-wide concealed carry weapon permit and ending birthright citizenship to name a few.
NPR reached out to the Trump team with questions about the specifics of how he would combat Mexico’s cartels specifically and drug crimes more broadly. The inquiry went unanswered. Still, there is publicly available information to determine the approach Trump intends to take, most notably in a 2024 campaign agenda.
He promises to « impose a total naval embargo on cartels » and demand the Department of Defense « inflict maximum damage on cartel leadership and operations ». Trump said he’ll have cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations and will « choke off their access to the global financial system ».
Furthermore, he pledged to work with neighboring governments to dismantle the cartels, backed by the threat of exposing « every bribe and kickback that allows these criminal networks to preserve their brutal reign ».
The agenda concludes with Trump asking Congress to pass legislation to ensure drug smugglers and traffickers are eligible for the death penalty.
« When President Trump is back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again, » the pledge reads. Is Trump’s approach reasonable? Possible?
According to University of Notre Dame Law Professor Jimmy Gurulé, who also serves as the director of the university’s Exoneration Justice Clinic, Trump’s pledge to enact capital punishment for drug offenses isn’t realistic.
