Joe Biden Blames Travel Schedule For Debate Performance, Says He “Almost Fell Asleep On Stage”

Ted Johnson
·1 min read
19
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Joe Biden blamed his bad debate performance last week on a busy travel schedule in the weeks leading up to the matchup with Donald Trump.

At a fundraiser tonight in McLean, VA, Biden said that he “wasn’t very smart” for “traveling around the world a couple of times” before the debate, according to a pool report.

More from Deadline

The president said that he “didn’t listen to my staff” and then “I almost fell asleep on stage.”

During the debate, Biden struggled to finish sentences and lost his train of thought. Instead of offering assurance to Democrats that he has the vigor, at 81, for a campaign for a second term, now there are calls for him to drop out. Today, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was the first Democratic member of Congress to do so.

Biden is planning an interview later this week with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos and a press conference next week, amid calls for him to take on a more aggressive schedule of unscripted appearances to counter fears of cognitive decline fueled by the debate.

Biden traveled earlier in June to Normandy, France for D-Day anniversary celebrations from June 4-9. He returned to the United States, then traveled back to Europe for the G7 summit in Italy from June 13-15. He flew from there to Los Angeles for a fundraiser. He traveled to Camp David, the presidential retreat, on June 20, and he remained there for a week which included debate preparation.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.