Angelina Velasco

Presidential Rhetoric about the 'War on Drugs'

Started Apr. 19, 2022

Abstract or project description

Officially coined by Richard Nixon in 1971, the “War on Drugs” was greatly expanded under the Reagan administration. Regardless of party, subsequent presidents have continued fighting this so-called ‘war’, as evidenced in their speeches. In this paper, I examine presidential speeches ranging from Reagan to Trump. In doing so, I consider how their respective rhetoric and government initiatives have targeted different types of drug use among different age groups in the U.S.