Presidential candidate Donald Trump humorously suggested that his opponent, President Joe Biden, would be so “jacked up” before their forthcoming debate that he might request a drug test to be conducted.
Biden announced he would participate in two debates against Trump, hosted by CNN and ABC News. Trump shared his predictions about the debate during the Minnesota Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner.
“He’s going to be so jacked up for those, you watch,” Trump said regarding the debates. He later hinted that he might “demand a drug test” before they took the debate stage. Speaking at the National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits on Saturday, Trump claimed Biden was “high as a kite” during this year’s State of the Union address.
Biden stated he would not join the debates arranged by the Commission on Presidential Debates, opting instead for two debates on June 27 and September 10. Before the announcement, Biden’s campaign chairwoman, Jen O’Malley Dillon, reportedly penned a letter voicing concerns about the debate schedule, arguing it was too late in the election year to hold debates. The commission responded earlier this month.
“The CPD purposefully chose September 16 after a comprehensive study of early voting rules in every state,” a CPD spokesperson wrote in a statement. “In-person early voting in North Carolina does not begin until October 17. On September 16, the day of the first debate, Pennsylvania voters can receive, complete and return ballots at their county boards of elections. Every other state starts early voting later, as of the most recently published information.”
O’Malley also accused the CPD of being “unable or unwilling to enforce the rules,” citing the 2020 elections when Trump allegedly broke debate rules without repercussions and was not properly tested for COVID-19 before the debate, despite being positive during the event. The debate drew in over 73 million viewers.
