Spending time on former President Donald J. Trump’s social media platform reveals a plethora of contradictory, unproven, and conspiratorial ideas emerging all at once. With the upcoming presidential debate looming, Mr. Trump seems to be ramping up his efforts.
Through social media and rallies, Mr. Trump has insinuated that President Biden is using performance-enhancing drugs in preparation for the debate. He even went as far as calling for Mr. Biden to take a drug test, posting on social media: “DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!!”
This shift in tone comes after Mr. Trump recently suggested that Mr. Biden would spend most of his debate prep sleeping and criticized his debating skills. However, in a surprising turn of events, Mr. Trump has now praised Mr. Biden as a “worthy debater,” pointing to his past performances against Paul Ryan in 2012. This change in rhetoric appears to be an attempt to raise expectations for the debate and challenge the negative perceptions he had previously set for the 81-year-old president.
In addition to targeting Mr. Biden, the Trump campaign has also taken aim at the debate moderators, accusing them of biased coverage of Mr. Trump in the past. These tactics are seen by Mr. Biden’s advisers as a strategic move by the former president to energize his base and shift the focus ahead of the high-stakes event.
Mr. Biden’s campaign views these outbursts as desperate attempts by Mr. Trump and his team to deflect attention from his own record and agenda. Accusations of drug use and rigging elections are not new tactics for Mr. Trump, as he previously made similar claims against Mr. Biden and Hillary Clinton in past debates.
The Biden campaign has been preparing diligently for the debate, with Mr. Biden spending the better part of a week at Camp David. In contrast, Mr. Trump has opted to refine his debate message at his rallies in front of supporters.
Despite the ongoing attacks and attempts to undermine the debate, Mr. Trump has committed to participating in the matchup. His campaign spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, emphasized that Mr. Trump keeps his promises and will be on the debate stage on Thursday, even if drug tests are not conducted.
“President Trump delivers on his promises, and he promised the American people he would debate Joe Biden, anytime, anywhere, any place,” Ms. Leavitt stated.
Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding the debate, Mr. Trump remains committed to participating and facing off against Mr. Biden on the debate stage.
