Former Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson Gary Earl JohnsonWhat the numbers say about Trump's chances at reelection Presidential race tightens in Minnesota as Trump plows resources into state The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden condemns violence, blames Trump for fomenting it l Bitter Mass. primaries reach the end l Super PAC spending set to explode MORE warned in a new interview that the Trump administration’s reversal on a key marijuana policy could cost Trump his reelection.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Johnson said Trump is “grossly underestimating the anger” that will follow Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE rescinding a Justice Department policy on states legalizing marijuana.

Johnson was named president and CEO of Cannabis Sativa, Inc., a medical cannabis business, in 2014, and is a supporter of marijuana legalization.

ADVERTISEMENT

The former Libertarian Party presidential candidate, who received 4.5 million votes in the 2016 presidential election, said he hopes the Trump administration’s shift “dooms” Trump’s reelection chances.

"I hope it dooms his reelection. Trump promised to leave marijuana to the states," Johnson told the newspaper.

On Thursday, Sessions rescinded the Obama-era policy that ordered U.S. attorneys in states where marijuana has been legalized to deprioritize prosecution of marijuana-related cases.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said he would not seek to halt recreational marijuana sales in states that legalized it.

“I am a states person. I think it should be up to the states,” he said at the time.

Sessions was slammed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle following the announcement.

Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerAirline job cuts loom in battleground states House approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats Congress needs to finalize space weather bill as solar storms pose heightened threat MORE (R-Colo.) took to the Senate floor to assert that Sessions had told him before his confirmation as attorney general that he didn’t plan to try to reverse his state’s policies legalizing marijuana, and threatened to block all Justice Department nominees until Sessions “lives up to the commitment that he made to me.”

"I would like to know from the attorney general what has changed,” Gardner said. “What has changed the president's mind? Why is Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE thinking differently than what he promised the people of Colorado?”