Shock as Trump Lies that 85 Percent of Americans Died Last Year

The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos

Shock as Trump Lies that 85 Percent of Americans Died Last Year

President Donald Trump is facing backlash after exaggerating drug-related deaths in the United States (US) while defending a fatal strike on a Venezuelan boat.

While speaking to the press, Trump attempted to justify the US military attack that destroyed a vessel suspected of trafficking drugs to America, killing 11 people on board.

When questioned about whether the strike was legal, Trump dismissed the criticism.

“What’s illegal are the drugs that were on the boat, and the drugs that are being sent into our country, and the fact that 300 million people died last year from drugs, that’s what’s illegal,” Trump said.

However, the figure is mathematically impossible.

Also Read: Trump to Deploy Military to Southern Caribbean Targeting Drug Cartels

Fact Check on Claims Made by Trump

The United States has a population of around 340 million.

This means that Trump’s claim would mean that roughly 85 percent of Americans died in 2024, leaving the country almost entirely depopulated.

On the other hand, the actual number of US drug overdose deaths is way lower.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 75,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the past year, a decline from more than 110,000 deaths in 2023.

Additionally, the number of drug-related deaths in America has never been anywhere close to Trump’s claim.

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 600,000 people die from drug use annually.

That makes up 0.2% of the figure cited by the former president.

Also Read: Trump Reveals When He Will Impose Sanctions on Russia in Letter to NATO

Online Criticism 

The US president’s comments sparked uproar and mockery on social media.

X user Franklin Leonard stated, “Last year, the US population was 340 million people. Based on my admittedly anecdotal evidence, most of y’all are still here.”

On the other hand, Middle East analyst Thomas Juneau added, “I think we might have to consider the possibility that the President of the USA has no idea what he is talking about.”

In August, Trump ordered the deployment of air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea to counter threats from Latin American drug cartels, which his administration had designated as global terrorist organizations.

The move followed months of stepped-up enforcement along the southern border, including the deployment of warships to support counter-narcotics operations.

The US government labeled groups such as Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua network as global terrorist threats.

Moreover, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also reported taking more than 350 alleged gang members off the streets in Houston during the first half of Trump’s term, a 375% increase compared to arrests in the same period under President Biden.

Officials linked the suspects to over 1,600 criminal offenses, ranging from murder and child sex crimes to trafficking and arson.

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This post Shock as Trump Lies that 85 Percent of Americans Died Last Year first appeared on The Kenya Times ~ Trending, Breaking News and Videos and is written by Joy Kwama