The term ‘weapon of mass destruction’ has also been hotly debated in American politics since the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday classifying fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’
Trump signed the order in the Oval Office on Monday while flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine, White House border czar Tom Homan and other top military officials.
Trump says his administration is “formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is. No bomb does what this is doing.”
It was not immediately clear how the new designation would affect administration policy or what the legal implications would be for those impacted by fentanyl use or drug traffickers.
The term weapon of mass destruction has typically referred to nuclear, biological, chemical or kinetic threats capable of causing overwhelming and lasting damage to a population, infrastructure or environment. The term has also been hotly debated in American politics since the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Trump says the administration is considering changing how it treats marijuana
“We are considering the idea because a lot of people want to see it,” the president said.
Trump had said in August that he was reviewing whether the federal government should reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Such a step could move the federal government closer to an approach already embraced by many states.
“We are looking at that very strongly,” Trump said at the White House.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
