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Trump: "We should take a drug test prior to the debate"

If Hillary Clinton seemed energetic at the start of the last presidential debate, that’s probably because she’s taking performance-enhancing drugs, according to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, who called for drug tests before Wednesday’s presidential debate in Las Vegas.

“I think she’s actually getting pumped, you want to know the truth? She’s getting pumped up,” Trump said at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Saturday.

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Trump bizarrely called for a drug test ahead of the third and final debate. “Athletes, they make them take a drug test,” Trump said. “I think we should take a drug test prior to the debate.” His suggestion drew cheers from the crowd.

He also alluded to the controversy surrounding Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. “I don’t remember, I don’t remember,” Trump said, mimicking Clinton being questioned by the FBI. “Maybe that’s why she has to do debate prep,” Trump added. “Because she’s got a bad memory.”

Trump’s suggestion that Clinton has used performance-enhancing drugs is yet more fodder in his campaign against a “rigged election.” He took to Twitter again Saturday morning to push this theory:

Trump’s comments were also part of a renewed attack on Clinton’s health. Last month, the Democratic nominee did not disclose that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia. Clinton was seen on video apparently staggering to her car at a 9/11 memorial ceremony.

“At the beginning of the debate, she was all pumped up, and at the end it was like [sigh] take me down,” Trump said. “She could barely reach her car.” He didn’t offer any other evidence to substantiate his claim that Clinton is using drugs.

Trump isn’t the first to bring drug-use accusations into the political arena this election season. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a Democrat, was forced to apologize after he suggested via Twitter that Trump’s sniffling at the first debate could be due to cocaine use.

Overall, recent polls suggest Trump is flagging, not Clinton. The Republican nominee is battling a torrent of allegations of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior toward women. Since May, 18 women have come forward to speak out about their encounters with Trump, 15 in the last week alone, according to Mother Jones. Trump’s Democratic rival, meanwhile, has surged in recent polls. A new NBC/ Wall Street Journal poll conducted after last week’s debate showed Clinton with an 11-point lead in a four-way race.