As Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sniffled away Monday night during the first debate of the general election, former Vermont governor Howard Dean posited a theory as to what was causing all the nasal activity.
“Notice Trump sniffing all the time,” he wrote on Twitter. “Coke user?”
Rather than apologize for the off-color tweet the next day, the former practicing physician doubled down on it Tuesday afternoon in an appearance on MSNBC.
“Well, you can’t make a diagnosis over the television,” he said. “I would never do that. But he has some interesting — that is actually a signature of people who use cocaine. I’m not suggesting that Trump does, but—”
“Well you are suggesting it, actually, in a tweet,” MSNBC host Kate Snow interjected.
“No, I’m suggesting we think about it,” Dean said. Then he rattled off a list of symptoms he said Trump shared with cocaine users, ranging from “grandiosity” to “delusions” to “trouble with pressured speech.”
“Do I think at 70 years old he has a cocaine habit?” the ex-gov continued. “Probably not. But, you know, it’s something that I think would be interesting to ask him and see if he ever had a problem with that.”
For several more excruciating minutes, Dean claimed he wasn’t accusing Trump of using drugs while repeating the suggestion that he might be — employing similar rhetorical tactics as when Trump and his surrogates accused Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton of hiding a grave illness and President Barack Obama of being foreign born.
“I don’t think this was a ridiculous idea,” Dean said. “Something funny was going on with Trump last night. Do I think it was cocaine? Probably not. But, again, the sniffing, the grandiosity, the delusions, the pressured speech. You know, this guy has already proven himself unstable. The question is: Why is he unstable?”
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Dean should stick to, “Jim, I’m a simple country Doctor; I’m not a politician, pundit or an internet troll.” Veddy interesting, but shtoopid!
People – Dean is playing with you. He is doing exactly what Trump does. Throw the bait in the water and watch the sharks come get it. He is doing this as an attack dog for Hillary and I think it is very smart.
Was Dean on Coke too, when he was yelling?
Not very impressed by Dean since he couldn’t indorse Bernie!!!
Jim Douglas was a better Governor than Dean was!
The original Tweet, in the midst of the debate, was world-class trolling on Dean’s part. Timely, funny, and a pointed response to Trump’s bizarro-world performance.
Doubling down on it the next day – instead of just laughing it off – seemed to take it too far.
Republicans and Trump backers, however, are in no position to complain about it after weeks and months of Trump and his backers insinuations and accusations about Clinton’s health. But I hope Howard Dean doesn’t want to simply become the Democratic equivalent of Rudy Giuliani and his ugly behaviors.
Very surprised that Dean went down to Trump’s level. Thought Dean had more class than this. There are plenty of horrible things to bring up about Trump, no need to make stuff up. Especially disturbing since Dean is a medical doctor.
Never had any respect ever for Dean..I remember a few speeches Deanie boy had given and he was sniffing a lot..was he doing coke??!!!.. The wanna be pres, is a bigot..He never did anything for Vermont except for helping Vermonters lose jobs..while he ran around the country yelling “YEAHHH”.. !!!! People called him a Vermonter..he was a transplant from NY..not a Vermonter.. After going to work for DNC why didn’t he go back to his medical practice?? His wife stated she would not move to DC if he became pres..Dean hasn’t changed one bit..still a BIGOT!!!!
Mr Trump doesn’t do drugs or even drinks because his brother died from alcoholism ..Trump said because of Fred “Freddy” death he swore he would never drink or do drugs..and he hasn’t..
I, also, noticed Trump was drinking more water than Marco ever did during his primary debates.
I don’t blame Gov. Dean for speaking up. Many, many of us wondered what was really happening!
Agreed Thommy. Though the character attacks are so repulsive this election.
It really is not out of the question that he uses drugs. He thinks he’s above any laws or conventions. And something HAS to be wrong with him.
I don’t think Trump is above doing a line off his podium mid- debate and his supporters would find some way to justify it.
How is this as bad as any of Trumps comments? Suggesting that the majority of illegal immigrants from Mexico are rapists, drug-users and -pushers or murderers is a hell of a lot worse than cheekily suggesting that an old white dude from the business world abuses cocaine.
Any respect I had for Dean is now gone. For all of you who cry about Trump’s poor comments, this is as bad as any and shows how low everyone will go. This is disgusting politics at its lowest