Tucker Carlson blasted the American pharmaceutical industry, claiming they are responsible for "the single greatest human catastrophe to ever afflict the country."

"America, as you know, has been drowning in a tsunami of opioid pills," Carlson said on Wednesday's program of Tucker Carlson Tonight. "According to data from the DEA, from 2006 through 2014, a total of 100 billion doses of oxycodone and hydrocodone were shipped to pharmacies across the country, and from there into households."

Carlson lamented the "770,000" opioid deaths, which he said was more than all American wars combined, and the fact that almost none of the people responsible for providing the American public with the drugs have been held accountable for their actions.

"Nobody, almost nobody has been punished for it. The Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharma, made $13 billion selling painkillers. They are still rich. None of them have gone to prison. Nor have many other who executives who profited off of the destruction of American communities."

Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in September 2019 after five state attorneys general sued the drugmaker and former director, Dr. Richard Sackler, for their role in the opioid crisis. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York returned donations they received from the Sackler's after uproar over the family's contributions.

Contrasting "770,000" reported opioid deaths with the current impeachment process in Washington, Carlson, 50, mocked accusations of Trump's alleged quid pro quo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and suggested Washington only cares to prosecute crimes when it is politically viable.

"Nobody is ever punished for the real crimes, the ones that really hurt people," Carlson said. "The invasion of Iraq. The sub-prime mortgage disaster. The plundering of this nation by the Chinese government. In Washington, all of those are minor. They're forgivable if you know and pay off the right people, which they invariably do. If only the Sackler family had fibbed about some emails that didn't matter, or had a phone call with a Russian ambassador, maybe Washington would finally care."