The institute warned that the pills contain a very high amount of a substance called para-methoxymethamphetamine, or PMMA.
Though closely resembling MDMA — the active ingredient in ecstasy pills, which are used by some clubbers and fueled the rave scene in the 1980s and 1990s — PMMA is much more dangerous, the institute warned.
Hours after taking PMMA, symptoms such as nausea, increased heart rate, convulsions and an extremely elevated body temperature can “suddenly occur,” it said. Taking the pill can lead to “overheating with potentially fatal consequences,” though a spokesperson told the Associated Press that there have been no reported cases of death or serious illness among possible users so far.
Trump himself is famously teetotal, and described cocaine as “down and dirty” in an interview with podcaster Theo Von before the 2024 election. The White House recently launched a drug control strategy.