Former President Donald Trump pushed out a hyperbolic and conspiracy-laden fundraising email to his supporters with just a day to go before the CNN presidential debate between himself and President Joe Biden, headlined, "THE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF!
"I'm bringing out the BIG GUNS before I step into the ring with Crooked Joe Biden tomorrow - THAT MEANS [recipient's name]!" stated the email. "Sleepy Joe is relying on a cocktail of drugs to keep him upright and awake. He's relying on highly-biased moderators like FAKE Tapper to feed him softball questions. And he's relying on his army of so-called fact checkers to spread LIE AFTER LIE on his behalf."
The email concludes with a call to join Trump's "advisory board," a link which leads to a solicitation for money.
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There is no evidence to support the idea that Biden is secretly being pumped with drugs to keep him alert for the debate — a claim that Trump and a number of his Republican allies have pushed, even demanding that Biden be subject to drug tests before the debate, as they grow increasingly fearful that they've set expectations too low for Biden's performance against the former president by spending months characterizing him as mentally enfeebled.
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Moreover, Trump himself agreed to all the terms of the debate, which will take place in Atlanta on Thursday as an alternative to the longstanding Commission on Presidential Debates events that were set to take place later in the campaign.
A second debate is planned to take place in September.
Some media commentators have skewered Trump, who is reportedly shying away from debate prep, for his pre-emptive attack on the debate process, as a sign that he is scared of what will happen when he has to present before a wider audience than his usual crowds of supporters at campaign rallies.