President Donald Trump sparked widespread confusion and fact-checking after claiming that 300 million people died from drug overdoses in the United States last year. The statement was made on September 15, 2025, during a press conference at Morristown Airport in New Jersey while Trump was defending a recent military strike on a Venezuelan boat.
Trump made the comment while responding to criticism from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who called the U.S. military action illegal. “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.
