Former US President Donald Trump continues to make headlines even after his time in the White House. During his time in office, the former president repeatedly came to the public’s attention with scandals. It is probably obvious to many that his staff did not always have it easy either.
However, the fact that some of them resorted to various substances to make their everyday working lives easier was previously only suspected. As the US Department of Defense revealed in January 2024, drug use in the White House actually increased drastically under Trump’s presidency and former employees are now also speaking openly about the conditions at the time, as Rolling Stone reports.
Drug use among White House employees
For many people, working in the White House may be the pinnacle of their career – but for the employees at the time of the Trump administration, the reality was apparently very different. As the German magazines news.de and Stern report, the pressure and stress under Trump is said to have been so great that the White House medical department issued prescription sedatives and stimulants without further ado – without an examination or doctor’s prescription.
The distribution of Zolpidem, Alprazolam, Adderall and Modafinil is said to have been a matter of course. According to Stern, one witness told Pentagon investigators:
We simply packed small plastic bags and handed them out.
Another even reported that the White House was ‘awash with speed’.
Pressure on medical staff
Consumption was common practice at all levels of the government at the time – right up to the highest management positions. Pressure was also exerted on medical staff. They were afraid of being fired if they refused to dispense the required medication. Later, harder drugs such as Fentanyl and Xanax were added, some of which were allegedly taken in combination with alcohol.
It remains to be seen whether this news casts a bad light on Donald Trump’s possible candidacy for the office of the next President of the USA.
