Rick Harrison found hope in the Trump administration after losing his son, Adam, to a fentanyl overdose one year ago.
The “Pawn Stars” boss praised President Donald Trump for taking steps to shut down the border and prevent criminal activity. Two days after Trump took his second oath of office, the president issued an executive order suspending migrants from crossing the southern border.
Adam Harrison died in January 2024 due to “fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity,” Clark County, Nevada, coroners confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time. His manner of death was ruled an accident. He was 39.
‘PAWN STARS’ RICK HARRISON RECALLS THE ONE TIME TRUMP APOLOGIZED TO HIM: ‘THIS IS ALL MY FAULT’
“Closing the border was absolutely amazing,” Harrison exclusively told Fox News Digital. “That’s where … that’s where it’s all coming from.”
Harrison also issued a stern warning to perpetrators caught selling the narcotic. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Fentanyl can be sold alone or combined with other drugs to make them cheaper.
“I want anyone selling fentanyl to go to jail for the rest of their life,” Harrison said. “They’re selling poison. They’re killing people. I think it’s every 11 minutes someone dies from fentanyl in this country.”
WATCH: ‘PAWN STARS’ RICK HARRISON RIPS POLITICIANS OVER FENTANYL CRISIS AFTER SON’S DEATH: ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING’
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
He added, “It’s just horrific, and something has to be done about it. If you make the punishment for selling it so bad, it’ll probably still be out there to some degree, but a lot of it’ll go away. Close up the borders, you know, really start cracking down on these countries that are letting people manufacture it there.”
After Adam’s death, Harrison remembered Trump calling to offer his condolences.
“I was kind of a train wreck at the time. I’ll be completely honest,” Harrison said. “I don’t remember the conversation that well. I mean, I was really bad for a week.”
The reality star recalled Trump telling him that his administration was going to “do what we can” to stop the fentanyl crisis.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“I believed him – just look at the border now,” Harrison said. “Border crossings are down 98% or something like that. It was just coming across the border like crazy, and like, we just need to crack down.”
The longtime TV star has thwarted his own political ambitions, but he admitted he might be ready for a new gig.
“I keep on thinking about it,” he said of the idea of running for office. “Eventually, probably, I will. But I’m really enjoying life right now.”
The reality star proposed to fiancée Angie Polushkin in March after dating for more than a year.
He added, “I can’t change the world, but maybe I can make it a little bit better. And so I do a lot of charity work, things like that. But maybe I’ll run for office.”
In an incident report obtained by the New York Post, Adam had reportedly been behind bars for months before moving into a guesthouse in the Las Vegas area, where he was found dead.
While Adam was not featured on “Pawn Stars,” he reportedly worked at the shop and in the family business.
“Pawn Stars” debuted in 2009 and still airs today. The premiere date for season 23 has yet to be released.
