US President Joe Biden admitted ahead of the debate that his poor performance was due to jet lag caused by “traveling around the world multiple times, passing through nearly 100 time zones”.
Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure as he seeks re-election in 2024, largely because of his age. (Photo: Reuters)
US President Joe Biden admitted he “almost fell asleep” during last week’s disastrous debate with his Republican rival Donald Trump, and said his poor performance was due to jet lag caused by “traveling around the world multiple times”. The 81-year-old’s confession comes amid pressure from Democrats following his poor debate performance, as well as growing questions about his cognitive ability to remain in office for the next four years if he returns to power after the election in November.
“I didn’t have the best night,” he said during a speech at a campaign event in New York City on Tuesday. “I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world several times, crossing almost 100 time zones.” before the debate.” McLean, Virginia.
“I didn’t listen to my entourage, and I came back and almost fell asleep on stage… That’s not an excuse, but an explanation.”
According to a Reuters report, Biden traveled to France and Italy in just two weeks in June, then flew overnight from the G7 summit in Bari, Italy, to Los Angeles where he appeared at a fundraiser with former US President Barack Obama.
Ahead of the June 27 debate, he spent six days at Camp David – the US president’s country retreat near Washington D.C. – preparing for the event.
While White House officials blamed the cold for Biden’s poor performance, his re-election campaign is making every effort to downplay the age factor.
Biden, who is already the oldest US president, will be 82 years old when he is sworn in next year if he wins the November 5 election.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Tuesday showed that one in three Democrats believe Biden should end his re-election bid after the debate.
The poll also showed that Trump and 78-year-old Biden each retained the support of 40 per cent of registered voters, showing that the latter has not lost popularity since the debate.
Meanwhile, a CBS News poll released on Monday showed that 45 per cent of Democrats want Biden to step down.
House Democrat Lloyd Doggett became the first party member to publicly call on Biden to step down, saying the presidential debate debacle “failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments.”
“My decision to publicly state these strong objections was not taken lightly and in no way diminishes my respect for all that President Biden has accomplished,” Doggett said in a statement Tuesday.
