Mike Johnson Ridiculed For Bizarre Biden Debate Claim
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has added to the chorus of baseless claims about Joe Biden’s approach to the first 2024 presidential debate — suggesting the president will be fueled by “a whole gallon of energy drinks.”
Biden and former President Donald Trump go head-to-head on Thursday inside a CNN studio in Atlanta, Georgia.
In recent days, Republicans have been making increasingly bizarre suggestions about how Biden may take to the stage “jacked up” on performance-enhancing drugs, cocaine or even Mountain Dew.
But Trump’s outriders have changed their tune on the Democratic Party candidate.
For months, Biden was cast as being in cognitive decline and too incompetent to return to the White House. Now, a bigger problem is the president’s unverified fondness for heavily caffeinated beverages, their argument runs.
Johnson is the most high-profile Republican pushing variations on the theory. On Wednesday, he told reporters: “I did a lot of media over the last several days and everybody wants to know which Joe Biden’s gonna show up. Look, my summary is this: It doesn’t matter if he drinks a whole gallon of energy drinks, he’s not gonna be able to match the acumen and the readiness of Donald Trump.”
Speaker Mike Johnson suggests Biden will be hopped up on "energy drinks" during the debate tomorrow pic.twitter.com/3J0pmFELC1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2024
The presumptive Republican nominee has himself demanded Biden take a drug test ahead of their duel.
“DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
On social media, many pointed out how the Republican line of attack has changed to the point where it makes little sense, and how it reflects Trump and his allies previously setting the bar too low for Biden.
First they say he's senile, now they say Red Bull cures senility. Congratulations, GOP. https://t.co/wPzZdEaVN7
— Karen Schwartz (@pithywidow) June 26, 2024
is he old and doddering or jacked up on the juice? they’re swerving between lanes like Ronny Jackson’s behind the wheel here https://t.co/rqmL9XHZbc
— shauna (@goldengateblond) June 26, 2024
I will write a check to Biden for $1000 if he comes out at the debate and says "I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew!"
$2000 if he threatens to come at Trump "like a spider monkey".— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) June 26, 2024
This is actually a touchstone of the Trump Era, the need for quasi-mainstream politicians to develop sanitized versions of the tentpole Trump conspiracy theories in order to name check to the base while not sounding like a total nutcase to normies and other upstanding Americans. https://t.co/IinpQmonuB
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 26, 2024
Are Republicans going to ban energy drinks and Starbucks next?
— Denison Barb (@DenisonBarbs) June 26, 2024
It’s hilarious to watch Republicans, who spent weeks depicting Biden as old and enfeebled, suddenly realize that they’ve foolishly lowered expectations for the debate and with days go go desperately pivot to “he’ll do great because he’s on something.” https://t.co/dstDLSR9YB
— Michael A. Cohen (NOT TRUMP’S FORMER FIXER) (@speechboy71) June 26, 2024
