Jonathan P. Caulkins

Jonathan P. Caulkins is a Carnegie Mellon University researcher in operations research and public policy who studies drug policy.

Also known as Jonathan CaulkinsCanonical website (opens in a new tab)

Event-backed coverage

Documented topics

Drug Policy and Overdose Response1 sourced eventInclusive range: August 25, 2026–August 25, 2026

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Recently documented events

August 25, 2026Challenged the characterization

Addressed record

Maine’s decrease in overdose deaths in 2025 and 2026 occurred because the Trump administration sealed the border.

““We did not literally seal the borders (to fentanyl). Obviously some is still getting in; otherwise deaths would be zero.””

Speaker capacity: drug-policy or public-health researcher
Editorial rationale: The statement directly challenges the factual premise used in Vance’s causal attribution.

PolitiFact review of Vance’s Maine overdose claim (opens in a new tab)Expert interviews and ruling

View context Did border policy cause Maine’s overdose deaths to fall?

Dossiers

Related cases

Case record

Did border policy cause Maine’s overdose deaths to fall?

Vice President JD Vance said Maine’s decline in overdose deaths followed the Trump administration’s sealing of the border. State data confirm a decline in 2025, but the trend began before the administration took office. Drug-policy and public-health researchers cited multiple potential contributors and said the available evidence does not establish border policy as the cause.