Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BumRushDaShow

(166,074 posts)
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 04:49 PM 21 hrs ago

Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants

Source: NPR

January 14, 2026 9:50 AM ET


The Trump administration sent shockwaves through the U.S. mental health and drug addiction system late Tuesday, sending hundreds of termination letters, effective immediately, for federal grants supporting health services.

Three sources said they believe total cuts to nonprofit groups, many providing street-level care to people experiencing addiction, homelessness and mental illness, could reach roughly $2 billion. NPR wasn't able to independently confirm the scale of the grant cancellation. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) didn't respond to a request for clarification.

"We are definitely looking at severe loss of front-line capacity," said Andrew Kessler, head of Slingshot Solutions, a consultancy firm that works with mental health and addiction groups nationwide. "[Programs] may have to shut their doors tomorrow." Kessler said he has reviewed numerous grant termination letters from "Salt Lake City to El Paso to Detroit, all over the country." Ryan Hampton, the founder of Mobilize Recovery, a national advocacy nonprofit for people in and seeking recovery, told NPR his group lost roughly $500,000 "overnight."

"Waking up to nearly $2 billion in grant cancellations means front-line providers are forced to cease overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and peer recovery services immediately, leaving our communities defenseless against a raging crisis," Hampton said. "This cruelty will be measured in lives lost, as recovery centers shutter and the safety net we built is slashed overnight. We are witnessing the dismantling of our recovery infrastructure in real-time, and the administration will have blood on its hands for every preventable death that follows."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5677104/trump-administration-letter-terminating-addiction-mental-health-grants

25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 21 hrs ago OP
is treating addiction and mental health "woke?" RussBLib 21 hrs ago #1
Congress to decide............. Lovie777 21 hrs ago #2
Congress is unlikely to do anything. North Coast Lawyer 17 hrs ago #19
Oh, the irony! Bayard 21 hrs ago #3
Seems like Trump bombing boats and killing the people he claims are bringing drugs to the US is not riversedge 18 hrs ago #17
... Solly Mack 21 hrs ago #4
Does the Felon just want to eliminate all programs that help any Americans in need? Janbdwl72 20 hrs ago #5
I believe that he and his cabal do. raccoon 19 hrs ago #11
I think this is more insidious: they want there to be more rampant crime so they can... Ol Janx Spirit 19 hrs ago #12
I'm sure they all look at rfk jr as a "inspiration" Javaman 20 hrs ago #6
so he targeted Venezuela because of "drugs" coming into America Skittles 20 hrs ago #7
It seems like he wants to corner the market IbogaProject 20 hrs ago #10
That's a BINGO! ColoringFool 18 hrs ago #14
He has an interest in making sure there is more crime in America's cities to "put down" with... Ol Janx Spirit 19 hrs ago #13
Ahh yes, another part of the drive to make sure every breathing person in the nation... OldBaldy1701E 20 hrs ago #8
it does have a similarity with the Nazis and Hitler RussBLib 20 hrs ago #9
When this hits the goober areas and the MAGA meth heads I wonder NoMoreRepugs 18 hrs ago #15
Easy, they will blame "the libs" unsurprisingly. littlemissmartypants 18 hrs ago #18
So much for caring about drugs iemanja 18 hrs ago #16
Not very MAHA of him purr-rat beauty 16 hrs ago #20
The administration wants people to get sick and die sakabatou 16 hrs ago #21
At this point you gotta ask,..... LudwigPastorius 16 hrs ago #22
This is pure eugenics. chiffondior 14 hrs ago #23
Oops, the funds were just reinstated. mn9driver 13 hrs ago #24
I bet they target Harm Reduction jfz9580m 9 hrs ago #25

RussBLib

(10,435 posts)
1. is treating addiction and mental health "woke?"
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 04:54 PM
21 hrs ago

This guy (and his sickening sycophants) seem intent on scaling back damn near every expense of government, except for the military and ICE budgets, of course.

What is the advantage of terminating addiction and mental health programs? To cause more chaos and suffering in America?

https://russblib.blogspot.com

North Coast Lawyer

(232 posts)
19. Congress is unlikely to do anything.
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 08:41 PM
17 hrs ago

It's beyond false hope to expect this cowed boot-licking Congress will do anything about this latest cruelty.

Bayard

(28,701 posts)
3. Oh, the irony!
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 04:59 PM
21 hrs ago

We have a deeply mentally ill man in charge of this country, and he's addicted to adderall. Oh, yeah--we're paying for his deluxe healthcare.

He needs that money to conquer Greenland. I expect a lot more of this.

riversedge

(79,578 posts)
17. Seems like Trump bombing boats and killing the people he claims are bringing drugs to the US is not
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 08:07 PM
18 hrs ago

doing the trick!!
I have to say this comes out of the blue for me. I have read 2 articles and neither say if these funds have been appropriated by Congress.
Maybe future articles will tell us-all the articles do say this came about 'abruptly'!!

Janbdwl72

(248 posts)
5. Does the Felon just want to eliminate all programs that help any Americans in need?
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 05:28 PM
20 hrs ago

Sure seems that way, regardless of who he hurts.

Ol Janx Spirit

(757 posts)
12. I think this is more insidious: they want there to be more rampant crime so they can...
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 06:41 PM
19 hrs ago

...justify more rampant deployment of troops into cities.

I think this is calculated to ensure there is more visible crime in America to "put down."

And yes, they are just that cruel....

Skittles

(169,735 posts)
7. so he targeted Venezuela because of "drugs" coming into America
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 05:37 PM
20 hrs ago

but has zero interest in treatment of drug addiction

the man is a total fraud

Ol Janx Spirit

(757 posts)
13. He has an interest in making sure there is more crime in America's cities to "put down" with...
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 06:44 PM
19 hrs ago

...more of his goon-squad troops.

Ending these programs are an easy way to create more visible crime on the streets of our country.

None of it--not Venezuela; not this--has anything to do with actual drugs.

OldBaldy1701E

(10,275 posts)
8. Ahh yes, another part of the drive to make sure every breathing person in the nation...
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 05:47 PM
20 hrs ago

Is out making their masters richer. There is no room in such an environment for anyone who is sick or unable to work themselves into a grave. They have to be removed. So, this is one of the ways that they accomplish this objective. By removing any and all aspects of the social safety net, only healthy workers will be alive to work.

Ironically, once they have thinned out our local herd, they will discover that they need many more warm bodies to keep their profit machines working and running, so they will... GASP... have to start letting people immigrate here.

Oh, the delicious hypocrisy of these greedy-ass idiots.

RussBLib

(10,435 posts)
9. it does have a similarity with the Nazis and Hitler
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 05:56 PM
20 hrs ago

...they wanted to rid Germany of all of the "defectives," including the Jews, gays, and anyone not white, because it weakened the Master (White) Race. Those addicted to drugs or those with mental health issues would be among those to be purged.

He is following the Nazi playbook again.

https://russblib.blogspot.com

LudwigPastorius

(14,238 posts)
22. At this point you gotta ask,.....
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 09:26 PM
16 hrs ago

is this a precursor to rounding them up and disappearing them for the "good of society"?

chiffondior

(36 posts)
23. This is pure eugenics.
Thu Jan 15, 2026, 12:11 AM
14 hrs ago

The people who own this government consider the people who need these programs to be undesirables and thus, they want to cut the funding in hopes they just die off.

jfz9580m

(16,620 posts)
25. I bet they target Harm Reduction
Thu Jan 15, 2026, 04:40 AM
9 hrs ago

And keep sleazy, Reefer Madness adjacent Coercive Psychiatry (as needed anyway)..Coercive Psychiatry or stalkerish fraudulent “monitoring” over bogus “safety” concerns about “radicals” would be in line with these shitheads and a similar type I have come across irl.

Political abuse of Psychiatry (along with general disregard for actual science and medicine) would be very on brand for these Trumpy douches and their corporate partners. In fairness, some of those sleazebags exist on both sides of the political aisle.

I am not anti-psychiatry but coercive psychiatry for no damn reason except to get potential complainants on file as mentally disturbed is political abuse of psychiatry and makes people behave erratically in reaction.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Trump administration send...