Former Fox News host Eric Bolling appeared at the White House Opioid Summit on Thursday, where he shared the heartbreaking story of how he lost his 19-year-old son to the opioid epidemic.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the event, where Bolling shared his message in an emotional video, describing his son as a normal teenager.
On Sept. 9, Bolling and his wife, Adrienne Bolling, were driving home on their way back from a date when they received a phone call that would change their life.
“We never saw it coming,” said Bolling. “We never thought we would get that call. Every parent doesn’t want it.”
During today’s Opioid Summit at the White House, Eric Bolling shared the story of his son who died from an accidental overdose. pic.twitter.com/P0bq6El6nj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 1, 2018
Eric Chase Bolling loved baseball and planned on attending college at the University of Colorado, his father said.
Bolling also revealed how Trump comforted him after the loss. The day after his son’s death, as he prepared for a meeting with a doctor at the coroner’s office, he received another fateful call.
“It was President Trump,“ Bolling said. “He said, ‘Eric, I don’t how you’re doing. I just want you to know you’re in my thoughts and in my prayers.’”
At the summit, Trump described the opioid crisis as a “growing” problem and blamed the drug dealers for the multitude of tragedies.
“These people can kill 2,000, 3,000 people and nothing happens to them,” he said.
The first lady commended the efforts of those trying to end the crisis.
“And I’m so proud of the work that this administration has already done to combat this epidemic,” she said. “We all know there is still much work to be done, which is why you’re all here today.”
In January, Bolling previously spoke to the president about the opioid crisis and stressed that Trump had “empathy and compassion” for the victims and their families.
(H/T: The Hill)