A crisis is brewing for the United States. It’s one no one wants to talk about.
But an ex-Trump adviser gave the President a key piece of advice that the White House can’t ignore.
Why President Trump Must Intensify the Fight Against Drug, Alcohol, and Homelessness Crises
With President Donald Trump back in the White House, America stands at a critical juncture to tackle the devastating crises of drug addiction, alcoholism, and homelessness head-on. His leadership and proven track record of decisive action signal a promising opportunity to restore order and hope to our nation’s streets. Drawing from the insights of former advisers, it’s evident that addressing the root causes of these issues with tough, effective policies is the path forward. However, these former advisers are warning him of what’s on the horizon.
Robert Marbut, who served as executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness from 2019 to 2021 under Trump, recently noted the necessity of focusing on the core drivers of these crises. He advocates for funneling resources into treatment facilities to help those struggling with substance abuse break free and reclaim their lives off the streets.
“We call them 72-hour holds, mental health holds [or] civil holds,” Marbut said on the John Solomon Reports podcast. “So that’s part one. Part two is getting rid of these crazy so-called harm reductions. The idea that you use government money to fund drug use and somehow that makes drug addiction and substance use better…we could spend five hours just on how nutty that is.”
Marbut points to a key executive order from Trump’s first term that directed funds toward genuine treatment and recovery programs, targeting the root causes of homelessness rather than perpetuating failed approaches. “He had the guts to do what needed to be done,” Marbut said, referencing Trump. “A lot of people have talked about it, and he just went in and pulled the trigger.”
President Trump’s recent actions in Washington, D.C., demonstrate his renewed commitment, with plans to deploy the National Guard to combat crime and disorder in the capital, signaling a no-tolerance stance on urban decay.
“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse,” he said. “This is Liberation Day in D.C. and we’re going to take our capital back.”
During a press briefing, Trump emphasized ongoing efforts to clear homeless encampments from public spaces, vowing to eliminate slums that tarnish the city’s beauty, as reported by PBS. Marbut cautions that compassion without accountability often backfires, a lesson critical to addressing homelessness effectively.
“I’m a person of faith, and I’m also a conservative, but what I have found is that compassion without accountability leads to enablement, and if you just do compassion only without sort of working a program and treatment and recovery, you end up making things worse,” he said.
Recent progress in D.C. validates this approach, with a 9% drop in homelessness—478 fewer individuals, totaling 5,138—reported by The Washington Post in May, showcasing the impact of targeted strategies. Marbut sharply criticizes harm-reduction policies that aim to mitigate drug effects without ending use, arguing they trap people in addiction.
“The crazy approach that we are going to somehow facilitate drug use for people who are addicted to or have substance-abuse disorders has just made things so much worse,” he said.
For homeless veterans, Marbut identifies post-traumatic stress disorder as a primary driver of substance abuse, advocating for mental health interventions followed by housing and employment support.
“When you start with dealing with post-traumatic stress and addressing that, [and] mitigating those issues, then you move into housing and the job and the employment that that works,” he said. “It’s common sense.”
