Fentanyl crisis cost America $2.7 trillion on Joe Biden's watch

One of the many cornerstone issues President Donald Trump campaigned on during his 2024 election was the opioid crisis plaguing America, which became considerably worse under President Joe Biden.

According to Fox News, in a bombshell study exclusively obtained by the outlet, the fentanyl crisis, on Joe Biden's watch, cost America a staggering $2.7 trillion. 

The study took into account a variety of factors, including loss of life from the dangerous drug, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity and the cost of crime associated with the use of the drug.

Other impacts to health care because of the fentanyl crisis were also considered in the jaw-dropping cost.

What happened?

Fentanyl has been nothing short of a disaster for America. It originates in Chinese labs and is mostly shipping into the United States by drug cartels at the southern U.S. border.

Trump is already making massive moves to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States, which includes leveraging tariffs on bordering nations like Mexico and Canada.

Fox News noted:

President Donald Trump is in the midst of leveraging tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to bolster border security and stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., which has sparked condemnation from critics that the tariffs will lead to higher costs for U.S. consumers purchasing goods originating from those three nations.

White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai commented on Trump's efforts to bring the opioid crisis under control.

"Ever since his first entry into politics back in 2015, President Trump has been committed to tackling the opioid epidemic that is destroying American lives, families, and communities," Desai said.

Fentanyl's financial grip on US skyrocketed to $2.7T at height of Biden admin: study | Emma Colton, Fox News

The study says the opioid epidemic "dwarfs even pessimistic estimates" of what tariffs might cost the US

FIRST ON FOX: The opioid crisis under the Biden administration… pic.twitter.com/01EFymxAtu

— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) February 9, 2025

Crying foul

Desai expanded on his statement regarding the Democrats' approach to the crippling issue.

"While Democrats cry foul and drum up hysteria over his use of tariff powers to save American lives from the scourge of illicit drugs like fentanyl, President Trump isn’t going to waver from using every lever of executive and legislative power to put Americans and America First — the costs of standing idly by in this drug war clearly far outweigh the exaggerated costs of fighting for American lives," he added.

Trump is making profound policy moves at the southern U.S. border, which is the first step in slowing down this crisis.

It'll be interesting to see his progress throughout the years.