Trump brands fentanyl a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ with executive order

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, a move that dramatically expands the U.S. government’s authority to fight the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of American overdose deaths each year. The designation, unprecedented for a narcotic, signals Trump’s intent to treat fentanyl not merely as a public health crisis but as a national security threat on a par with chemical warfare. The classification, ratcheting up an assault on what he says are gangs hellbent on flooding the U.S. with drugs, empowers the Pentagon to assist law enforcement and…