The Republican nominee is showing weakness in his handling of the opioid crisis, according to an Axios report.
The report said Trump’s comments about the opioid epidemic are likely to hurt his standing among Republican voters.
Axios’ Ryan Struyk says Trump’s recent comments about opioids are a sign that he is failing to grasp the seriousness of the problem.
“The problem of prescription painkillers has been one of the most pressing issues for Trump’s campaign since its inception.
Now, the president seems to be taking a more pragmatic approach, and it’s a signal of weakness,” Struyk said.
“His comments on opioid abuse in particular have been an increasingly important part of his campaign strategy, but the reality is that Trump has a long way to go before he can truly solve the problem of opioid abuse.”
In recent weeks, Trump has expressed sympathy for the victims of opioid overdoses.
He called the epidemic “a tragedy,” “devastating” and “a disaster,” and said he was proud to have taken a stance on it.
But Struyk warned that if Trump continues to downplay the problem, he will have less support in the Republican base.