Throughout the course of last year's campaign, President Donald Trump frequently brought up the damage which fentanyl has done to American communities.

In a move which is sure to leave his MAGA base cheering, Trump just signed a law which raises the classification of fentanyl under federal law. 

Iowa AG: Drug cartels "have so much to lose"

According to Fox News, the legislation known as the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, which was introduced by Virginia Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan.

Under its provisions, fentanyl and related substances will fall under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that crimes which are tied to them will require prison sentences.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird welcomed the law, telling Fox News, that drug cartels "have so much to lose by us cracking down on fentanyl and the money that they make by poisoning thousands of Americans."

As Breitbart reported, Trump signed the bill during a televised ceremony which was held at the White House on Wednesday.

Trump slams Biden for "surrendered our borders"

"Today, we strike a righteous blow to the drug dealers, narcotic traffickers and criminal cartels that we’ve all been hearing so much about for so many years," Trump was quoted as saying.

He went on to characterize the new law as being "a historic step toward justice for every family touched by the fentanyl scourge."

.@POTUS: "Joe Biden surrendered our borders to the most evil and vicious traffickers... allowing foreign drug cartels to carve out a massive footprint on American soil... On Day One of the Trump Administration, we declared an all-out war on the dealers, smugglers... and cartels." pic.twitter.com/q8w3SFJzM5

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 16, 2025

Trump also took aim at former President Joe Biden, accusing him of having "surrendered our borders to the most evil and vicious traffickers" while "allowing foreign drug cartels to carve out a massive footprint on American soil."

"On Day One of the Trump Administration, we declared an all-out war on the dealers, smugglers... and cartels," the president declared.

Father of overdose victim celebrates law

Breitbart noted how Wednesday's signing ceremony was attended by 200 individuals who had lost loved ones to drug overdoses.

Among them was Gregory Swan, who lost his son Drew to fentanyl poisoning. Swan held up a photograph of Drew and stated, "His passing ruined, I thought, my life, and every parent back here that I meet and in the audience."

"Some of my friends, their life is gutted when they lose a kid–there’s despair and there’s hopelessness–but we’ve been able to find some repose in going out and advocating," he added.