Trump asked Pentagon about bombing Mexican drug labs on suggestion of health official, book reports


Former President Donald Trump considered bombing drug labs in Mexico after a top public health official, dressed in his military-like dress uniform, suggested putting "lead to target" to stop the flow of illegal drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman writes in her upcoming book on Trump, according to The Washington Post.
Trump raised the idea "several times, eventually asking a stunned Defense Secretary Mark Esper whether the United States could indeed bomb the labs," Haberman reports. Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, often wore his dress uniform into Oval Office meetings with Trump, confusing the president, White House officials told Haberman for her book, Confidence Man. "The response from White House aides was not to try to change Trump's view, but to consider asking Giroir not to wear his uniform to the Oval Office anymore."
Giroir declined to publicly discuss his private conversations with Trump but told the Post that when it comes to Mexican drug labs, "every option needs to be on the table." Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich, as he has when presented with other reports from Haberman's book, dismissed it as a "boring" collection of "anonymously sourced fairytales." Among the more than 250 people Haberman spoke with for her book is Trump, who she interviewed three times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Confidence Man contains all sorts of dishy stories about Trump dating back to the 1980s, and you can reads some of them — why he sought out Black judges in his real estate lawsuits, how he told Rudy Giuliani to "go wild" as his lead lawyer challenging his election loss, the time he might have called a congresswoman pretending to be a newspaper reporter, his verbal abuse of female world leaders and mockery of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she was dying — at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Trump’s deportations are changing how we think about food
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The Department of Labor’s admission that immigration raids have affected America’s food supplies reopens a longstanding debate
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Gaza peace deal: why did Trump succeed where Biden failed?
Today's Big Question As the first stage of a ceasefire begins, Trump’s unique ‘just-get-it-done’ attitude may have proven pivotal to negotiations
-
‘Use as little plastic as possible’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to Japan
Under The Radar Far-right party is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas