Fox News contributor Marc Siegel suggested to Tucker Carlson on Monday night, September 21, that former Vice President Joe Biden may be taking “speed” or the ADHD medication Adderall.
Siegel’s speculation came during a segment on President Donald Trump‘s continued insistence on both candidates being drug tested before their first debate, which is scheduled for September 29.
Trump also, days earlier at a rally, made a similar accusation, albeit in cruder terms, when he claimed that doctors had given Biden a “big fat shot in the a**.” You can watch the clip of Siegel making the incendiary suggestion here, via Fox News.
Here’s what you need to know:
Siegel Said That Biden’s Occasional Gaffes Were ‘Not Isolated’ & Backed Trump’s Demand for a Drug Test Before the Presidential Debate
Getty/Chip SomodevillaControversial Fox News host Tucker Carlson lost seven major advertisers after a series of comments attacking Black Lives Matter.
Carlson, who sometimes makes headlines — and loses advertisers — over the incendiary rhetoric on his prime time program, opened Monday’s segment by attacking Biden over recent misstatements. On September 19, Biden mistakenly said that 200 million people had died of coronavirus, Fox reported.
“Where does Joe Biden get his data, and who is his dealer” Carlson said. “A lot of people are asking the question.”
Siegel, a physician who often makes appearances on Fox programs, told Carlson that “many neurologists” have told him that Biden’s gaffes are likely not gaffes, but indicative of cognitive issues. “These are not isolated,” he claimed, also prefacing his comments by admitting he has not examined Biden and did not “have a clinical diagnosis to make.”
Siegel pointed to two brain aneurysms Biden suffered in 1988, as reported by Delaware Online, and claimed that Biden’s cognitive abilities and “decision-making” could have been affected.
Then, he suggested that Biden may be on “speed” or the ADHD drug Adderall.
So now President Trump says we should have drug testing before debates, and I’m thinking, why would he be saying that? Let me tell you one reason, Tucker. There’s a study that shows that for people who have mild cognitive thinking or memory problems, you know what helps? Speed. You know what helps? Adderall, a drug that I have prescribed.
These drugs can help, in low doses, for short periods of time. In the Olympics, we are testing athletes. Baseball games, we don’t want anybody to juice. We’re looking for competitive advantage. We’re analyzing that. We want to make sure nobody takes advantage. This may be the most important election of any of our lifetimes … One toad to the economy and one road, lockdowns … We must take the right road, Tucker.
At a Rally Over the Weekend, Trump Also Suggested Biden Could Be Taking Drugs, Saying, ‘They Give Him a Big, Fat Shot in the A**’
At Trump’s Fayetteville, North Carolina, rally on Saturday, he also suggested Biden may be taking performance enhancers, in crude fashion.
“I’ve got a debate coming up with this guy,” Trump told his supporters. “You never know, you never know. They give him a big, fat shot in the a** and he comes out. And for two hours, he’s better than ever before. The problem is, what happens after that? Ah, look at that. Ask for a drug test. We are going to ask for a drug test. Both of us: He’ll take it, I’ll take it.”
Heavy reached out to the Biden campaign on both Trump and Siegel’s comments, but did not immediately hear back. However, in an interview with local NBC affiliate WFLA last week, Biden responded to some of Trump’s earlier insinuations about drug tests.
“I’m looking forward to the debate and he’s a fool,” Biden said. “The comments are just foolish. Get ready, Mr. President. Here I come.”
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