Watch Live Stream: Trump Visits NH To Talk About Opioid Crisis

MANCHESTER, NH — About six months after forming a commission to study the opioid crisis as well as drug addiction issues, President Donald Trump visited the Granite State today to unveil the administration’s new plan. The bi-partisan commission – which includes former 2016 GOP primary opponent former Gov. Chris Christie, R-NJ, who was once a prosecutor, as well as former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, who is in recovery – made a number of recommendations ever since the president declared the issue a nationwide public health emergency in October 2017. In Manchester on March 19, 2018, he presented the finer points of the plan which include stricter penalties for criminals involved in the drug trade, more improvement options for treatment and addition recovery, and legislative and enforcement actions to cut down on the demand by addicts.

Trump previously suggested that drug traffickers might face the death penalty if convicted, according to a post on White House Patch, and has also made construction of a wall across the southern border part of the administration's anti-drug strategy.

Watch the Live Stream below:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other officials also were in the state for the announcement.

Trump visited a firehouse in Manchester to highlight the city’s Safe Stations program – where addicts can come in for treatment without fear of arrest – which has been hailed by most local and state officials, as well as the president, as a success. He then spoke at Manchester Community College.

Democrats in New Hampshire were mostly critical of the visit but one, U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, in a statement, said that while she doesn’t agree with every aspect of Trump’s opioid plan, she hoped he would continue to work with Congress on solutions.

“The initial opioid proposal outlined by the White House includes measures that reflect legislative items put forward by the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force that have the backing of both Republicans and Democrats," she said. "New Hampshire has been hard hit by the opioid epidemic, but by spearheading innovative programs, New Hampshire can help lead the entire nation out of this crisis.”

Image via Jeffrey Hastings/frameofmindphoto.com, used with permission.