Trump–Biden Debate Conspiracies Have Already Flooded the Internet

The Republican online ecosystem has gone into overdrive up of the archetypal US statesmanlike debate. Lawmakers and influencers are pushing chaotic conspiracy theories astir President Joe Biden, and alternatively of coming up with thing new, they are recycling bushed aged allegations that person already been debunked—including claims that Biden volition beryllium “jacked up” connected performance-enhancing drugs.

“He’s sleeping now, due to the fact that they privation to get him bully and strong,” former president Donald Trump said of Biden astatine a run rally implicit the weekend, without providing immoderate evidence. “So a small earlier statement time, helium gets a changeable successful the ass. They privation to fortify him up. I’d accidental he’ll travel retired each jacked up.”

This is an astir nonstop repetition of a assertion Trump made astatine a rally successful 2020, erstwhile helium claimed Biden would get “a large abdominous changeable successful the ass” successful bid to statement “better than ever before.” Trump besides made a akin assertion against Hillary Clinton successful 2016. Trump has besides called for Biden to instrumentality a cause test earlier the event, which helium besides did successful 2020.

Trump’s comments look to beryllium portion of a wider propulsion by the Trump run to control the online narrative astir the debate.

Trump’s erstwhile White House physician, Ronny Jackson, posted connected X: “DRUG TEST BIDEN BEFORE THE DEBATE! Will we spot Sleepy Joe, who lives successful the White House Basement, oregon volition we spot Jacked-Up Joe who made an quality astatine the State Of The Union???”

Jackson besides spoke to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, who helped boost the baseless conspiracy. During the interview, Jackson went adjacent further, speculating connected wherefore Biden and his squad were hunkered down successful Camp David up of the debate:

“Biden volition person been astatine Camp David for a afloat week earlier the debate, and … they’re astir apt experimenting with getting doses right, getting him medicine earlier the debate,” said Jackson, who is presently moving for Congress successful Texas with Trump’s endorsement.

Other politicians besides weighed in.

“I deliberation Trump’s squad should not underestimate Joe Biden and his team’s quality to jack him up connected Mountain Dew oregon immoderate it is,” Missouri typical Eric Burlison said successful an interrogation connected Fox Business, adding: “Look, the State of the Union this year, helium had a batch of vigor for astir an hr oregon an hr and a half.”

The web of pro-Trump, right-wing influencers connected X and Telegram person picked up the conspiracy en masse, sharing clips of Trump’s comments and the interviews with Jackson and Burlison.

In conspiracy channels connected Telegram, influential figures are boosting adjacent wilder allegations astir the debate, including aggregate antithetic claims that Biden is astir to propulsion retired of the statement for aesculapian reasons, and that either a caller Democratic nominee volition beryllium picked oregon the 25th Amendment volition beryllium invoked and Vice President Kamala Harris volition go president. There is nary grounds to backmost up immoderate of these claims.