The Most Contradictory Timeline in History

If you're confused about what our country stands for at this moment in time, you're not alone.

Happy New Year, friends. As we approach the end of the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidency, I’ve been struggling to understand what our country stands for now. I know I’m not alone. Our elected leaders say one thing one minute, and then do something totally contradictory the next.

One of the most contradictory areas of U.S. policy this past year has been drug enforcement. I’ve put together a timeline — which I’ve also shared in video form on my socials — which I think will help to explain why many of us are so confused. Check it out.

January 20, 2025. Donald Trump signs an Executive Order designating drug cartels terrorist organizations, and declaring that “it is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of [their] presence in the United States.”

January 21, 2025. Trump grants a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road—an online marketplace that trafficked hundreds of millions of dollars worth of drugs. At least six people died from overdoses, including two teenagers.

March 2025. Trump frees Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios (aka “El Greñas”), a notorious MS-13 gang leader captured in 2024 after years on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Lopez-Larios was charged with narco-terrorism and other crimes, but Trump’s DOJ dismissed those charges and returned Lopez-Larios to El Salvador.

March 2025. Trump’s Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announces that he’s eliminating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, which is the primary agency responsible for reducing drug overdose deaths and addiction.

April 2025. Trump’s DOJ cuts $88 million in grant funding for substance abuse and addiction treatment.

May 2025. The Trump Administration decides to eliminate the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (known as OCDETF)—a specialized section of the Justice Department that targets major drug traffickers and international cartels. It’s the unit that captured El Chapo, for example. Members of Congress on both sides objected to shutting down OCDETF, but still the unit was fully disbanded by September.

September 2025. Instead of prosecuting suspected drug traffickers through legal channels, Trump starts bombing them. He launches military airstrikes on tiny boats supposedly carrying drugs. We haven’t actually seen any proof of that. But there have been over 30 strikes to date.

October 2025. Trump pardons Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance—a cryptocurrency exchange that was used to launder money to international drug trafficking organizations and criminal enterprises.

December 2025. Trump pardons Juan Orlando Hernandez, the corrupt former president of Honduras, who turned his country into a narco-state. Hernandez took millions in bribes from drug traffickers and sent hundreds of tons of cocaine into the US. In 2024, he was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Now he’s a free man thanks to Trump’s pardon.

January 2026. Trump sends troops into Venezuela to capture their president, Nicolas Maduro, and try him in the United States on charges of drug trafficking. The charges against Maduro are almost identical to the ones that Trump pardoned Hernandez for.

So how can we reconcile this totally contradictory timeline? That’s exactly what we should be asking our elected officials. It’s not our job to make it make sense—it’s theirs. My focus in 2026 will be seeking accountability from those entrusted to run our country. I invite you to join me. You can be part of my accountability circle by subscribing to my channels, sharing this information, asking questions, and demanding answers. It’s what we deserve from our elected leaders.