Rep. Byron Donalds, without evidence, accused President Joe Biden of being “jacked up” and using “injections” in order to appear “coherent.”
There is no evidence that Biden uses or has used drugs. The Republican congressman lobbed the baseless speculation Sunday during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, who countered Donalds' allegation by responding, “These are obviously very serious charges… We're not doctors. We have no idea.”
If Bartiromo is pushing back against your rhetoric, you know you're out of pocket. Bartiromo also heard the “jacked up” accusation when GOP Rep. Greg Murphy made the same assertion Thursday on Fox Business, claiming he has “evidence” (that he did not produce) to show Biden was “jacked up on something” while delivering the State of the Union address.
“I was in the State of the Union address, and Joe Biden must have been jacked up on something that day. I absolutely believe that from a medical viewpoint and actually have a little bit of good knowledge that happened,” Murphy, a surgeon, said.
“He can't stand, and he can't stand under the lights for that long, and I don't think he can keep a concept in his brain that long,” Murphy added.
When Bartiromo responded by asking for clarification, Murphy alleged, “I believe they gave him something to sustain the lights and sustain the vigor that he had. That wasn't Joe Biden. I was in there. He screamed for two hours.” (Biden was passionate that night, but no one has shown proof of any substance use.)
“Yeah,” Bartiromo said.
Despite Bartiromo asking for more details, Murphy refused to go further publicly but offered to show his alleged proof “offline.”
“Maybe we can talk offline, and I'll show you something that proves that,” Murphy said.
“You'll show me what?” Bartiromo inquired.
“I think I can have some evidence that shows that he was given something before,” he said, suddenly backing down a bit on his claim that he has the evidence in hand.
Donalds and Murphy are following Donald Trump's lead in making these accusations. And Donalds may be doing so strategically, as he has reportedly been under consideration to be Trump's vice presidential running mate, along with a number of other GOP hopefuls.
Trump said — without evidence — in a radio interview following the state of the union that Biden was “all jacked up” and “higher than a kite.” Trump then said he would insist that Biden be “drug tested” ahead of presidential debates in the fall. In a speech in Minnesota on Saturday, Trump speculated that Biden will be “so jacked up for those debates, you watch!” (Trump in that speech also falsely claimed he won the state in 2016 and 2020. He did not.)
Donalds even doubled down on his claim Sunday, tweeting video of the interview and writing, “There SHOULD be drug testing before the presidential debates & there is a REASON why the White House” refuses to release audio of Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur regarding alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Again, there is no evidence to indicate that Biden uses or has used drugs.
