Donald Trump Jr. accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of having “substance issues” Wednesday after she reportedly suggested that coronavirus treatment has mentally affected his father, President Trump.
Mr. Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, made the claim after Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, reportedly wondered out loud if steroids influenced his father’s recent behavior.
The president had announced Tuesday that he was pausing negotiations on a new pandemic relief bill until after Election Day. Mrs. Pelosi was on a call with fellow Democrats at the time, and several outlets reported that she reacted by wondering if his decision was due to the medications he is taking to combat COVID-19, the contagious disease caused by the novel coronavirus he recently contracted.
Mrs. Pelosi’s apparent reaction was discussed the following morning on Fox News during a live interview with the president’s son in which he made the allegation about the House speaker.
“Apparently Nancy Pelosi was on the phone with Democrats at the time after she heard that the president had pulled the plug on the negotiations, and she said, ’I think steroids could actually be influencing the president,’ ” said “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy. “In other words, your dad is suffering from some sort of roid-rage.”
“Yeah, well, Nancy has her own substance issues, according to the press and according to the media, so I won’t get into that,” replied Mr. Trump Jr.
The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, in addition to other medications to treat COVID-19, according to White House doctors. Dexamethasone’s potential side effects include agitation, irritability and mood changes, among others.
A spokesperson for the House speaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is no credible public reporting to corroborate allegations of the 80-year-old congresswoman abusing any substances.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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