Trump just declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency. 2 days ago his HHS secretary said he wasn't going to.

President Trump.
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump on Thursday declared the nation's opioid epidemic a "national emergency."

Just two days before, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said that Trump did not plan to declare the epidemic a national health emergency. "We believe that at this point, the resources that we need or the focus that we need to bring to bear to the opioid crises can be addressed without the declaration of an emergency," Price said Tuesday. He did note that the possibility of an emergency declaration was not off the table, but that Trump had "no immediate plans" to declare one, CNN reported.

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