Former President Donald Trump suggested that President Joe Biden may have been on drugs during the State of the Union address in March. This was after a white, powdery substance was found in a cubby near the White House's West Executive entrance in July last year, prompting an investigation. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 election, went on to say that the debates should be drug-tested before they take place. The White House has yet to respond to Trump's comments.
During an interview on Thursday's episode of Hugh Hewitt's podcast, Trump discussed the possibility of facing Biden in the upcoming debates. When asked about the discovery of a white, powdery substance at the White House last year, which was identified as cocaine, Trump said he believed there was something "going on" with Biden. He also accused the president of being "all jacked up" and "higher than a kite" during the State of the Union address, as well as falling asleep at other events.
However, when pressed by Hewitt if he believed Biden was using cocaine, Trump did not directly answer the question. Instead, he reiterated his belief that something was "obviously going on" with the president and suggested that the debates, at least with Biden, should be drug tested. "I want a drug test," he said.
Trump says Biden should be drug tested before the presidential debates because he might be using cocaine:
"I think what happened is you know that white stuff that they happened to find, which happened to be cocaine in the White House, I don’t know, I think something’s going on… pic.twitter.com/SrNyZKLfEg
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 4, 2024
Biden's State of the Union address was generally well-received by the public, according to polls. The event was labeled an "unequivocal success" by some experts, with many predicting it would put to rest any talk of another candidate stepping in to replace Biden. Christopher Phelps, a professor of modern American history at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., told Newsweek in November that the address was an "unequivocal success" that could also mark a turning point in the polls, as the gap between Trump and Biden had already shrunk to a statistical tie.
According to the United States Secret Service, the substance found in the White House in July 2023 was sent to the FBI's crime laboratory for testing. However, the FBI's analysis was inconclusive. The Secret Service stated that there were no latent fingerprints found on the substance, and there was insufficient DNA or surveillance video footage to determine who may have placed it there. As a result, the Secret Service was unable to compare the evidence against any known individuals. The FBI's evaluation of the substance did confirm that it was, in fact, cocaine. The Secret Service's investigation was closed due to a lack of physical evidence.
In response to Trump's comments, Biden's spokesperson did not directly address the allegations but instead referred to the successful implementation of the president's policies thus far. "Despite the challenges we've faced, President Biden has been working tirelessly to improve the lives of all Americans. His policies have resulted in record job growth, an increase in vaccinations, and progress on issues like immigration and climate change. We will continue to focus on the important work ahead rather than engaging in political drama," the spokesperson said in an email to Newsweek.
Meanwhile, Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung responded to a request for comment by sending an email to Newsweek that simply stated, "Cocaine was found in Joe Biden's house." It is unclear if Cheung provided any further context or evidence to support this statement.
Could Trump's comments be seen as an attempt to discredit Biden or diminish his success? Or could they be seen as baseless accusations? At this point, it is unclear. However, the White House did announce earlier this year that it would begin implementing a drug testing policy for administration staff, but there has been no indication that it would extend to politicians or presidential candidates. Until further developments arise, it is up to the public to formulate their own opinions about the potential implications of Trump's remarks.