Trump suggests Biden may use supplements to get ‘jacked up’ for debate
PHILADELPHIA — In his last scheduled rally before he takes the stage for a presidential debate, former President Donald Trump on Saturday mocked President Joe Biden over his preparations, suggesting his opponent might be using medical supplements.
“Right now, crooked Joe has gone to a log cabin to ‘study,’” Trump said at a rally in Philadelphia, pantomiming quotation marks with his hands. “He’s sleeping now, because they want to get him good and strong. So a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass.”
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Trump and his campaign for months challenged Biden to debate. But since the candidates agreed in May to two debates, one Thursday and another Sept. 10, Trump has at recent rallies sought to reframe the low expectations that he has set. Trump has during rallies and speeches consistently attacked Biden’s mental capacities, contending that the president cannot put “two sentences together.”
But he did not use that line at Saturday’s rally before thousands of people at the Liacouras Center in north Philadelphia. Instead, he seemed to be preparing his supporters for the possibility that Biden might prove a formidable opponent by accusing him of using a chemical boost.
“I say he’ll come out all jacked up, right?” Trump said, referring to Biden. Moments later, Trump seemed to accuse Biden of using illegal drugs.
“I’m sure he’ll be prepared,” Trump said. He paused, then, referring to an incident in which a bag of cocaine was found in the guest lobby of the West Wing last year, added with a smirk: “Whatever happened to all that cocaine that was missing a month ago from the White House?” (The Secret Service closed its investigation into that episode after security video failed to provide any leads and no fingerprints were found on the bag.)
Though Trump built anticipation for the debate with his insistence for months that he would be willing to challenge Biden “anytime, anywhere, any place,” on Saturday, the former president criticized debate rules his campaign had agreed to, including the network hosting the event and the lack of a live audience.
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