Pam Bondi Deletes Post After Getting Busted Lying for Trump

Here is a factual brief synthesizing the provided information: **Background** Attorney General Pam Bondi shared a graph on X (formerly Twitter) that depicted a significant reduction in drug overdose deaths. The graph tracked overdose deaths from October 2015 to October 2024. According to a June 2025 article from JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, overdose deaths surged nationwide starting in 2015 with the emergence of fentanyl. The data also indicated another steep rise in deaths just before the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when Donald Trump was in office. **Core Conflict** Bondi attributed the decline shown in the graph to the Trump administration's policies and efforts. Her post stated, "President Trump closed the border. DOJ agents have seized hundreds of millions of potentially lethal fentanyl doses. We are aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers and cartel leaders. These are the results." She further added, "Elections have consequences. Electing President Trump and enforcing the law is saving American lives." However, critics, including Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California, quickly pointed out that the sharpest decline in overdose deaths on the graph occurred between October 2023 and October 2024. This period falls within Joe Biden's presidency. The study authors noted that the deceleration in overdose deaths observed under Biden was nearly twice the rate of the surge that occurred between 2019 and 2021, which was during the Trump administration. Social media users highlighted that the graph's data, ending in October 2024, reflected progress made during the Biden administration, not the Trump administration. **Current Status** Following the backlash and widespread criticism regarding the discrepancy, Pam Bondi deleted her post from X. Despite the deletion, several social media users, including Rep. Ted Lieu, had taken screenshots of the original post and shared them. The Daily Beast reported reaching out to the Department of Justice for comment on the matter. Separately, reports have indicated that drug prosecutions reportedly decreased during the Trump administration, with federal agents being reallocated to immigration enforcement. Healthcare professionals have expressed concerns that the gains made in reducing overdose deaths during Biden's term, which amounted to a 27 percent reduction, could be jeopardized. This concern stems from a reported $1 billion cut to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency (SAMHA) through a Trump spending bill. Additionally, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly laid off over a third of SAMHA staff and is dissolving the agency. Trump has also used the drug epidemic to justify various actions, including military strikes and tariffs, while simultaneously granting pardons or commutations to nearly 100 individuals convicted of drug-related crimes during his first term and 10 more since taking office in January.