The White House is launching a new commission to combat drug addiction Wednesday to be overseen by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who for years has been passionate about the scourge of drug abuse.
Trump and Christie will lead a listening session on the subject at the White House on Wednesday, convening Attorney General Jeff Sessions and several other Cabinet members, drug policy experts and advocates, as well as a recovering addict.
Ending opioid addiction was a centerpiece of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as Christie's, and advisers say the president is committed to using the powers of his office to raise awareness and develop new policies to tackle the problem.
Christie
told the Associated Press that Trump asked him to lead the drug abuse efforts while serving as governor, and that he currently has “no interest in having a permanent role” in the administration.
“He asked me to help with this, and I’m going to,” Christie told the AP. “It’s an issue that I care about a lot in New Jersey and for the country, and so the president asked me to do this and I was happy to.”
The drug commission is part of the
new White House Office of American Innovation, chaired by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser. Christie's role has been in the works for several weeks. On Tuesday, Christie and Kushner had lunch to discuss the project. The two men were said to have had an icy relationship during the campaign and transition period — Christie was removed as chairman of Trump's transition and replaced by Vice President Pence — but have been working together amicably in recent weeks, according to White House officials.
