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Back on February 28, we reported Donald Trump‘s idea of stopping drug crimes was to give drug dealers the death penalty. According to Axios.com, “Five sources who’ve spoken with Trump about the subject, he often leaps into a passionate speech about how drug dealers are as bad as serial killers and should all get the death penalty.” Trump is allegedly inspired by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has executed 10,000 drug dealers and drugs users in the past two years   These executions are taking place on the street and, reportedly, the police are killing more people than the criminals.

Today, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a statement backing Trump’s violent policy, saying, “Drug dealers show no respect for human dignity and put their own greed ahead of the safety and even the lives of others. He also added that the Justice Department “will continue to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and we will use federal law to seek the death penalty wherever appropriate.” See the full statement below:

This language is terrifying, but Trump has already been empowering prosecutors to charge dealers with a capital crime.

“Law enforcement outfits in 20 states are authorized to pursue ‘drug-induced homicide’ charges when a given overdose can be connected back to the point of sale, and other states provide slightly more roundabout ways to charge a dealer with a capital crime,” Think Progress reported.

This is particularly horrific for the Black community. Black men receive harsher sentences for drug crimes due to the “war on drugs” and the 1994 crime reform bill.

“African Americans represent 12.5% of illicit drug users, but 29% of those arrested for drug offenses and 33% of those incarcerated in state facilities for drug offenses,” according to the NAACP. If the Black community is disproportionately incarcerated, then we would be disproportionately murdered under the Trump administration potential new policy.

See the video below of Trump calling for death of drug dealers.

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