***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
In a serious and touching ceremony at the White House on Thursday, President Trump officially declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. The declaration promised to bring some relief to those battling addiction and allowed all states to move around their federal funds to where it’s needed most. But following Trump move, many craven Democrats came out and claimed he wasn’t doing enough. And during their evening broadcasts, ABC and CBS held water for those partisan claims as they slung mud at the President. NBC, on the other hand, surprisingly touted the President’s actions.
As he began CBS Evening News, anchor Anthony Mason noted the grim reality of the opioid crisis by informing the viewers that, by the end of the broadcast three people would die from overdoses. “Today, President Trump declared a public health emergency to fight the epidemic, but critics were quick to say that does not provide the money to get the job done,” he added as the report began. And during the opening tease, he played a clip on Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi saying “show me the money.”
“President Trump stopped short of declaring the opioid crisis a national emergency, opting instead for a public health emergency declaration,” complained CBS White House correspondent Major Garrett. “Financing comes from the public health emergency fund, which has a balance of just over $56,000. The federal government estimates the crisis costs $75 billion annually.”
Garrett sat down with the Obama administration’s drug tsar, Michael Botticelli who ripped Trump for not doing want needed to be done to end the opioid crisis. “Without any additional resource allocation, I think it really doesn't make a difference what we call it,” the Obama lackey smeared. “It's largely rhetoric, and very shallow in terms of really taking major actions against the epidemic.”
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