WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday officially classifying fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction.”
The signing took place in the Oval Office with Trump joined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, White House border czar Tom Homan, and other senior military officials. Trump described fentanyl as “formally classified as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is. No bomb does what this is doing.”
Details on how the designation will impact federal policy or enforcement against fentanyl traffickers and users have not yet been made clear. Traditionally, weapons of mass destruction refer to nuclear, chemical, biological, or kinetic weapons capable of causing large-scale harm to populations, infrastructure, or the environment. The label has been politically contentious in the U.S., particularly since the Iraq invasion.
During the same appearance, Trump noted the administration is considering reclassifying marijuana, a move that could align federal law more closely with policies already adopted in many states. “We are looking at that very strongly,” he said, adding that public interest in the idea is high.