Trump accuses Biden of taking performance-enhancing substance
16 September, 2020
President Donald Trump, in his latest shredding of political niceties, suggested Tuesday that his Democratic opponent Joe Biden has taken drugs to boost his performance in debates.
The Republican, who's well behind in national polls, at first insinuated throughout a Fox News interview that "something was strange" using what he saw as Biden's improvement through the Democratic primary season debates.
Early on, when there have been multiple Democratic candidates prearranged on stage, Biden was "a tragedy" and "grossly incompetent," Trump said. But at a later debate where Biden was one-on-one with leftist rival Bernie Sanders, "he was OK."
Trump told Fox he didn't want to say what he thought was the reason for the improvement.
Seconds later, he did.
"He's taking something (that) you understand, gives him some clarity, or whatever," he said.
Trump repeated his demand that Biden should undergo a drug test before their first of three presidential debates scheduled for September 29.
"I would take one too," he said.
Biden responded by telling a Florida radio station "I'm pumped up about the debate and he's a fool. The comments are simply foolish."
Trump, 74, has for months tried to persuade voters that Biden, 77, is experiencing mental decline.
The former businessman cites Biden's penchant for gaffes -- which some believe to be linked to the Democrat's lifelong have a problem with stuttering -- and his reluctance to face unscripted questioning from reporters.
Trump -- who takes questions from reporters daily but is well known for his own frequently garbled and baffling statements -- said, "Joe is lost. We can not have a president that's mentally lost."
Trump told Fox that, with attacks from the Democrat side gaining intensity, he'll now "take the gloves off."
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