Trump ‘strongly’ urges Biden to take drug test for Tuesday debate

US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his drug abuse accusations against his Democratic rival Joe Biden, saying he will be “strongly demanding” the administration of a drug test on the former vice president before or after the upcoming debate session.

Trump demanded in a tweet on Sunday that his Democratic opponent take a drug test either before or after the pair's first debate on Tuesday, in his latest salvo against his Biden’s mental state.

"I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night," the US president tweeted.

"Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???" he continued, without offering any evidence for the claim.

I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also. His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2020

The two candidates’ teams reportedly finalized on Saturday the conditions for the debate, which is to be moderated by a Fox News reporter and with the presence of only a small audience due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Tuesday's clash is set to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, and marks the first of three 90-minute debates, representing the first time American voters would have the chance to see Trump and Biden facing off against one another directly.

The two rivals are also expected to face each in Miami, Florida, on October 15, and in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22. Their vice-presidential nominees Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will also have a one-on-one in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 7.

Trump: Biden taking performance-enhancing drugs to increase efficiency

Trump has reiterated previous accusations that his Democratic rival Joe Biden must be taking performance-enhancing substances and should undergo a drug test for the upcoming primary debates.

The Republican president has over the past months been denigrating 77-year-old Biden's mental acuity, and has reiterated his accusations for several times that the former vice president may be using unspecified drugs to boost his performance.

Biden has shrugged off the accusations and demanded that US voters observe the two men together, saying in an August interview with ABC that, "Watch me. Look at us both.”

The Democratic presidential candidate said on Saturday that he expects "personal attacks and lies" from Trump during the debate, likening him to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

Biden compares Trump to Nazi propaganda chief

The US Democratic nominee for 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden, has compared President Donald Trump to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

Biden gains double-digit lead over Trump: Poll

Trump’s latest accusation against Biden came as his Democratic rival holds a 10-point lead over him among registered voters in a new national poll released on Sunday.

The ABC News-Washington Post poll showed Biden leading the incumbent 54 to 44 percent on handling of the economy and the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey also found that 59 percent of non-Trump supporters said his reelection would be a crisis for the country while 50 percent of non-Biden supporters said a Biden victory would be a crisis.

The poll was conducted among 1,008 voters between September 21 and 24 with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

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