Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday that no one expects President Biden to be “on cocaine” during the debate later this week, despite President Trump and his allies suggesting otherwise.
Johnson joined CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to discuss how at a recent rally, Trump told his supporters that Biden is “gonna be so pumped up” and alluded to the bag of cocaine found at the White House last year.
Collins asked Johnson what he thought of the former president’s accusation.
“Look, there’s a lot of things that are said in jest,” Johnson said in the interview, highlighted by Mediaite. “Of course, no one expects that Joe Biden will be on cocaine.”
Biden’s age and mental acuity have been a concern for many Republicans, especially in the wake of a special counsel report earlier this year that painted the incumbent as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Johnson added that it “makes sense” that people are asking questions about his ability to lead.
The Louisiana Republican said the 81-year-old president’s energy levels and behavior are of concern and said it’s more likely that Biden will be on “energy drinks or something” for the debate.
The Speaker referenced Biden’s fiery State of the Union address in March. Trump, conservative lawmakers and pundits suggested Biden took performance-enhancing drugs ahead of the speech because of how energetic he was on stage.
Johnson noted that he thinks the public can expect Biden to arrive on the debate stage in the same way he addressed Congress earlier this year.
“The question is, is can he stay for 90 minutes on that stage and go toe-to-toe with President Trump, who is, you know, goes to rallies and talks for two hours without notes,” he said. “So, it’ll be a very interesting thing to see.”
The former president has continued to call on Biden to take a drug test ahead of the debate, noting Monday that he would take one too. Trump has not provided factual evidence to back up his claims that the president would be on drugs to boost his performance.
The first presidential debate will take place Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT on CNN, and will be hosted by moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Both Biden and Trump have been prepping for their first showdown since the chaotic first debate in the 2020 race. They have agreed to a set of rules including mic muting.