US Attorney General Pam Bondi recently posted a chart online, intending to highlight the Trump administration’s success in curbing drug overdose deaths, only to delete it after realizing it actually showcased a significant decline during Joe Biden’s term, WIO News reported.
For hardworking taxpayers footing the bill for government programs, this blunder raises questions about accountability and transparency, especially when health policies directly impact community safety and medical costs.
Let’s rewind to the start: Bondi shared a graphic covering overdose deaths from October 2015 to October 2024, proudly attributing progress to the previous Republican administration.
However, sharp-eyed users on the platform quickly pointed out the inconvenient truth—the chart clearly showed a sharp drop in deaths under Biden’s watch, nearly twice the decline seen during Trump’s term.
Instead of a victory lap, Bondi faced a digital facepalm as the post contradicted her narrative, revealing a surge in deaths starting in 2015 with fentanyl’s rise and a spike early in Trump’s tenure in 2017.
Further scrutiny of the chart showed overdose deaths peaking again during the coronavirus pandemic under Trump’s administration, painting a less flattering picture than Bondi intended.
By contrast, the data reflected a roughly 27% decline in recent years under the current administration, a fact that must sting for those hoping to champion past policies.
After the error was exposed, Bondi quietly pulled the post, but not before screenshots spread like wildfire across the internet, ensuring the mistake wouldn’t fade into obscurity.
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu didn’t hold back, tweeting, “Lol, the truth hurts,” taking a jab at Bondi’s misstep with a smirk that’s hard to miss.
While Lieu’s quip stings, let’s be fair—mistakes happen, but when you’re in a position of power, every post is under a microscope, and conservatives expect precision, not progressive excuses.
He added, “@AGPamBondi was glazing Trump again with another lying sycophantic tweet, but the chart she attached stopped in Oct 2024, thus showing the great work done by Joe Biden.”
Now, let’s pivot to the bigger picture: health care workers are sounding alarms that this hard-won 27% drop in overdose deaths could vanish if budget cuts to drug treatment agencies go through.
With the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration set to lose over a third of its 900 staff due to a proposed $1 billion cut in Trump’s budget bill, rural families and struggling communities—already hit hard by the opioid crisis—could face skyrocketing medical costs and fewer resources.
