Former President Donald Trump believes America could curb its problem with illegal drugs if law enforcement started executing convicted drug dealers.
Trump made the remark Tuesday at the America First Agenda Summit in his first speech in Washington, D.C. since leaving office.
While laying out a series of drastic measures to curb crime, Trump said he would support imposing the death penalty as punishment for convicted drug dealers.
"The penalties should be very, very severe," he said, according to The Hill. "If you look at countries throughout the world, the ones that don't have a drug problem are ones that institute a very quick trial death penalty sentence for drug dealers."
"It sounds horrible, doesn't it? But you know what? That's the ones that don't have any problem," Trump continued. "It doesn't take 15 years in court. It goes quickly, and you absolutely — you execute a drug dealer and you'll save 500 lives, because they kill on average 500 people."
The former president made similar remarks earlier this month during a speech in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Newsweek, Trump drew applause upon suggesting the U.S. model its response to the illegal narcotics trade after China, where accused drug dealers are executed following swift trials.
Back in D.C., he called for a "return to stop-and-frisk policies in cities," and said police squad cars should be parked on every corner. He also called for a "no-holds-barred national campaign to dismantle gangs and organized street crime in America," and said the country needs to "give our police back their authority, resources, power and prestige."
"We are a failing nation," he said, according to CNN. "We are living in such a different country for one primary reason: There is no longer respect for the law and there certainly is no order. Our country is now a cesspool of crime."
Trump also suggested moving encampments of homeless people out of major cities and into government-funded "tent cities" at the "outer reaches" of cities where psychiatrists and other medical professionals could work with people, CNN reported.
Trump has hinted though not officially announced a run for the White House in 2024. Earlier this week, he stopped just short of confirming his candidacy when he told the crowd at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit that he won the last election and "may have to do it again."
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