By Luis De Jesus
Jun 23, 2024, 7:41 PM EDT
Ronny Jackson, Republican representative and former White House doctor, suggested this Sunday that Democratic President Joe Biden should undergo drug tests before and after the next presidential debate on Thursday, which will be with former president Donald Trump.
In an interview with Fox News, Jackson stated: “I am going to demand on behalf of many millions of concerned Americans right now that you submit to a drug test before and after this debate, specifically looking for performance-enhancing drugs.”
These statements resonated with previous comments made by former President Donald Trump during a rally in Philadelphia, where he suggested that Joe Biden could be using substances to improve his performance in political debates, he reported. NBC News.
The former president told his followers: “So, a little before the moment of the debate, he gets a shot in the butt and that is… they want to strengthen him. So he comes out, he comes out, okay. I say he will come out very encouraged, right?
What was the reaction of the White House?
In response to Jackson’s remarks, a White House spokesperson cited a previous statement by Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, who told Political last month: “It’s telling that Republican officials can’t stop announcing how intimidated they are by the president’s performance at the State of the Union.”
Bates continued: “But after losing every public and private negotiation with President Biden, and after watching him succeed where they failed across the board, from rebuilding America’s infrastructure to reducing violent crime and overtaking China, it looks that those same Republicans confuse trust with a drug.”
Insinuations about Joe Biden’s alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs add to attacks on his age and mental fitness as he seeks a second term at 81, adds NBCNews.
Donald Trump’s “mistake”
Donald Trump, who recently turned 78, has also faced criticism about his cognitive abilities, including when he recently mistakenly referred to Jackson as “Ronny Johnson” at a rally.
Mitch Landrieu, co-chairman of Biden’s campaign, said last week of the Republicans’ accusations: “The other day, as you may remember, I was trying to question our president’s mental acuity and he couldn’t remember his own doctor’s name, so Tell President Trump: bring what you have.”
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