Donald Trump says Joe Biden should take drug test prior to crucial debate

Donald Trump has said Joe Biden should take a drug test ahead of their upcoming presidential campaign which could up-end the election.

Donald Trump has said Joe Biden should take a drug test prior to this week’s crucial debate that could shake up the US presidential campaign.

But Mr Biden’s team has dismissed the call as “silly,” showing how “scared” Mr Trump is prior to showdown.

On Thursday evening, US time (Friday morning, Australia), the former president and current President will take place in the first of just two head-to-head debates prior to November’s general election.

The match up could be critical for both campaigns. Mr Biden and Mr Trump are neck and neck in the polls, but in critical swing states Mr Trump is ahead which may be enought to deliver him a second term in the White House.

While Mr Trump has questioned his rival’s mental sharpness for months, in recent days the Trump campaign team has sought to downplay his chances of a slam dunk debate.

News.com.au will report live on the Biden-Trump presidential debate from Friday at 11am.

Signs for the CNN presidential debate are seen outside of the CNN studios in Atlanta, Geoirgia. Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP.

Now Mr Trump appears to be claiming that if Mr Biden performs well at the debate, helmed by news channel CNN, it will be because he was on some kind of drug regimen.

“Drug test for crooked Joe Biden?” he wrote in all capital letters on his social media platform on Monday.

“I would also agree to one”.

At a rally in Philadelphia on Friday he also made the baseless claim that the President could be on drugs.

“So, a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the a** ,” he told the crowd.

“They want to strengthen him up so he comes out, he’ll come out, okay, I say he’ll come out all jacked up, right?” the US ABC network reports him as saying.

US President Joe Biden steps off Marine one to board Air Force One at Los Angeles international in California, June 16, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

‘Silly’

Mr Trump has form in seeking drug tests from opponents.

In April, he made another call for Mr Biden to be drug tested. That came after Mr Biden’s generally well received performance in the State of the Union address the month prior.

He also brought up drug tests when he was up against Mr Biden in the 2020 election race.

Speaking to CNN, Biden spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod dismissed the Trump test demand.

“I worked on Hillary Clinton‘s campaign. She had also debated him very effectively. He accused her of being on drugs,” she said.

“This is what he does because he doesn‘t have anything else to run on…. except to seek political retribution on his enemies.

“So he has to resort to these types of tactics which are frankly just silly and turn off a lot of voters, especially voters who want to see their president fight for them.”

Donald Trump’s campaign team also suggested Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton might have been on drugs when they want head to head. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

The Biden campaign also issued a statement saying it was another example of “Trump… trash talk”.

“Donald Trump is so scared of being held accountable for his toxic agenda of attacking reproductive freedom and cutting social security that he and his allies are resorting to desperate, obviously false lies.”

Earlier this year both candidates agreed to how the debates would be run with rules such as no audience and the other candidate’s microphone being turned off when their rival is speaking. Drug tests was not on the list of requirements.

Trump changes tune on Biden

In May, Mr Trump wrote on social media that President Biden was the “worst debater I have ever faced”.

However, in an effort to seemingly manage expectations at the debate, he has recently changed his tune.

“I assume he’s going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater,” he said on the All In podcast last week.

“I would say I don’t want to underestimate him.”

Mr Trump and his campaign team have also claimed the CNN moderators will be bias against him during the debate. CNN has rubbished the accusation.

Originally published as Donald Trump says Joe Biden should take drug test prior to crucial debate