Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued a response to President Donald Trump and his campaign after repeated accusations of performance-enhancing drug usage.
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According to Politico, Biden mocked Trump’s idea to submit to a drug test before the first presidential debate. POTUS used his Twitter account to share his desire to have his opponent drug tested before engaging in a formal debate, saying he would have one as well.
“I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night,” he tweeted September 27. “Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record-setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???”
Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a video from a press conference where Trump doubled down on his claims. When asked if he seriously believed Biden is using performance-enhancing substances, he responded “I’m not joking,” and said there was ‘evidence’ of his claims.
Initially, Joe Biden offered the response of no response. Politico reported that the presidential hopeful at first said “No. I have no comment,” and laughed the request away.
Now, the Biden campaign is taking aim at Trump’s allegation. In a statement provided to Politico the campaign said they are not surprised by the challenge, highlighting the president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager to the news outlet. “We’d expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200,000 Americans when he didn’t make a plan to stop COVID-19.”
Politico confirmed with Biden advisors that the candidate “doesn’t even drink alcohol.”
The Washington Post reports that Trump’s latest method of attack is not new to his political strategy. In 2016, when running against Hilary Clinton he also claimed she was on drugs during a debate.
“We should take a drug test prior because I don’t know what’s going on with her,” Trump told supporters then. He continued, “but at the beginning of her last debate — she was all pumped up at the beginning, and at the end, it was like, ‘Oh, take me down.’ She could barely reach her car.”
The New York Times reported that Clinton’s campaign responded to the charge with an official statement on Trump’s attempt to undermine the American democracy and election process.
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“Campaigns should be hard-fought and elections hard-won, but what is fundamental about the American electoral system is that it is free, fair and open to the people,” Robby Mook, the Clinton campaign manager wrote. “Participation in the system — and particularly voting — should be encouraged, not dismissed or undermined because a candidate is afraid he’s going to lose.”