Thomas Edsall And Steroids In Law Enforcement

You may remember Thomas Edsall as a New York Times columnist who pulled together quotes from academics to prove that the world always has two sides. I gave up reading him until maybe a year ago, when Paul quoted a column that actually seemed to be looking for intelligent interpretations. I didn’t pay much attention to him because I figured that could be some sort of fluke. But he’s surfaced useful information a few times since.

I saw today’s column hawked on Bluesky by someone who was quoted in it. I put it in a tab. And I just got around to reading it.

It may seem tangential, but any reasonable review of this increasing hostility between federal agents and the public should take into account the possibility of anabolic steroid use (or abuse). Legal and illegal steroid use has become increasingly common among law enforcement officials, although testing and punitive actions are very rare, despite the threat of excessive force and violence by government officials.

The Drug Enforcement Administration describes anabolic steroids as “synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male hormone testosterone that are used in an attempt to promote muscle growth, enhance athletic or other physical performance and improve physical appearance.”

In some individuals, according to the agency, “anabolic steroid use can cause dramatic mood swings, increased feelings of hostility, impaired judgment and increased levels of aggression (often referred to as ‘roid rage’).”

John Hoberman, a historian at the University of Texas, Austin, and the author of “Dopers in Uniform: The Hidden World of Police on Steroids,” described the effects of steroid abuse on police behavior:

These drugs can produce emotional instability in armed men who are in a position to act out their drug-fueled anger, irritation and aggressive urges on civilians. Anabolic steroids appeal to men who join police forces in order to achieve dominance over others.

I asked Hoberman during a phone interview how widespread the use of anabolic steroids is in law enforcement. He replied:

My impression from having covered this since 2005 is that it’s very widespread. There are 18,000 departments in this country, and to the best of my knowledge, not one tests. The unions are going to cry bloody murder, because it’s a privacy invasion. The police chiefs do not want to catch somebody.

Would his estimate of widespread usage apply to ICE?

Hoberman said, “This is Trump’s goon squad, for Christ’s sake.”

And that last quote is the headline of the article. So someone at the Times actually wants you to read it.

Little has been speculated publicly about drug use within the administration more generally. The bruises on Trump’s hands. Stephen Miller’s shouting interviews. The willingness to take chances, as in Pete Hegseth’s open conversation about a military operation. The grandiosity in general. Seems like something a reporter might look into.

This just came across my timeline. Could be the result of any number of things, including drug use.

Photo credit: Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash