D'OH! Josh Barro's 'race-baiting' slam on Trump's opioid speech falls flat (and crushes a Dem narrative)

President Trump spoke today on measures to combat opioid abuse and addiction in the United States:

"This scourge of drug addiction in America will stop," vows Pres Trump. Pledges to face the problem with "action, determination and resolve," noting that 116 die daily from opioid-related overdoses. pic.twitter.com/sN9x7hu7C8

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 19, 2018

Demands getting tough on drug dealers, "and that toughness includes the death penalty," says Pres Trump. Says some drug dealers kill thousands and get 30 days in jail. Says if Government doesn't get tough on drug dealers, "we are doing the wrong thing." pic.twitter.com/zfQFhzo4NB

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 19, 2018

Pres reaffirms commitment to build a wall on the border with Mexico "to keep the damn drugs out.” Hopes Democrats will eventually join the effort. pic.twitter.com/IFLISfuJiJ

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 19, 2018

Trump also mentioned a particular city in Massachusetts that’s near the New Hampshire border:

Pres also cites Lawrence, MA., as a "sanctuary city" that is a source of illegal drugs. And repeats call on Congress to block funds for "sanctuary cities."

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 19, 2018

Business Insider editor and MSNBC contributor Josh Barro saw an opening there:

New Hampshire is almost all white, so Trump has to reach across the border and complain about Lawrence, Mass. (74% Hispanic) as a driver of New Hampshire's drug problem.

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) March 19, 2018

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Really? As it turns out, Trump didn’t just make that up:

Josh, Lawrence Mass IS the gateway for fentanyl & heroin into NH and ME.

Read what the @washingtonpost had to say here: https://t.co/sruYbwGqcj #nhpolitics https://t.co/MrGDQuK2cx

— NH Young Republicans (@NHYR) March 19, 2018

Um, so did WaPo back in October:

"The fentanyl and heroin in this part of New England often is funneled through Lawrence, Mass., via drug traffickers with ties to the Dominican Republic, according to the DEA and police in Lawrence and Nashua."https://t.co/QAs3pfok7K https://t.co/12PzPQw2vR

— Nate Madden (@NateOnTheHill) March 19, 2018

I’m about as anti-Trump as you can get, but he’s not wrong on this one. Most of NH’s opioids come from Lawrence or Lowell. https://t.co/wctENEzjDP https://t.co/jgTVWnecGY

— Cody Kondratenko ? (@codykon) March 19, 2018

Race baiting hateful Josh Barro doesn't know a little thing called FACTS. Drugs pour over into NH from neighboring town/state Lawrence
Facts matter ? blindfolded racist remarks DONT HELP
When dealing with a drug problem https://t.co/MNwz4NHaJ1

— MEL ✌️ (@GiglioMarilyn) March 19, 2018

Besides, the “blame another state” argument is perfectly acceptable to the Left under certain conditions:

Democrats would never do the same thing and "reach across the border" to blame White Indiana on Chicago's gun violence. #BlueCheckBrigadehttps://t.co/Qf4StL8AnC

— Blue Check Brigade (@BlueCheckBrig) March 19, 2018

Yet, Democrats blame white Indiana for Chicago minority gun violence. You can’t have it both ways, dear. https://t.co/zFpWWncENl

— The Morning Spew (@TheMorningSpew) March 19, 2018

Obligatory:

Race baiters gonna race bait. https://t.co/wp7Ly5GV7i

— Gwendolyn (@scvbuckeye) March 19, 2018

#RIPJounalism https://t.co/1rENj8eiPM

— #KeepAmericaGreatXX (@Ike197077) March 19, 2018