Indiana father who lost his son to fentanyl poisoning running for Congress
U.S. congressional candidate Jamison Carrier joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss why he decided to throw his hat in the ring and what has led to a surge in fentanyl-related deaths nationwide.
Driven by the tragic loss of his youngest son to fentanyl poisoning, Indiana GOP congressional candidate Jamison Carrier is stepping forward to prevent others from enduring similar heartbreak, directly attributing America's border crisis to the policies of the Biden administration.
"There's a very specific date that we can track our border issues to, and that is the inauguration of President Joe Biden. That is when the border went out of control. President Trump had it down to the lowest numbers that it had been in 45 years," the political newcomer said Monday on "Fox & Friends."
"The number one thing that we can do, because obviously President Biden doesn't care about it, we've got to get President Trump re-elected because we know that he will take care of the border situation, just like he did before."
TEEN DRUG OVERDOSES HIT RECORD HIGH, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY FENTANYL POISONING, SAYS NEW REPORT
Jamison Carrier, an Indiana congressional candidate, issued a dire warning about the state of the fentanyl crisis in America. (Fox & Friends/Screengrab)
Carrier, whose son, Joey, succumbed to fentanyl poisoning nearly two years ago, is eyeing the Hoosier State's 6th congressional district after former Vice President Mike Pence's brother Rep. Greg Pence announced he would not seek re-election.
The primary face-off for the solidly Republican seat is slated for May 7.
Meanwhile, the southern border crisis has propelled the fentanyl epidemic to catastrophic proportions, with deaths from last year alone climbing to over 112,000 for the first time in history, according to CDC data.
FENTANYL OVERDOSES BECOME NO. 1 CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG US ADULTS, AGES 18-45: ‘A NATIONAL EMERGENCY’
Fentanyl pills disguised as Oxycodone. (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Like others lost to the deadly drug, Carrier said his son was someone everyone loved – a hard worker, an outdoorsman, and an "incredible person" who lived a full life.
"We lost him way too soon… and he had struggles with addiction, but he certainly never dreamed that fentanyl would be in anything," he told guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
"It's a tragedy for him."
His message to families is an urgent warning against apathy, a call to action that people protect their loved ones and take precautions to avoid heartbreak.
INDIANA DAD WHO LOST YOUNGEST SON TO FENTANYL RUNS FOR CONGRESS TO END TRAGEDIES OF BORDER CRISIS
An aerial view shows an immigrant group passing cross water and barbed wires and walking to US - Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, United States on February 1, 2024. Carrier said the U.S.'s border issues can be traced to President Biden's inauguration. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
"To children, I would say please don't play around. It's way too serious and all of us are impacted by this in one way or another," he continued.
"The reason that we're running is, I had a mentor that told me a lot of people think hate is the opposite of love. He said apathy is the opposite of love. So we've got to put our love into action. We love deeply. We have to act."
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Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.