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Joe Biden claims the reason for his poor performance at last week’s presidential debate was due to being tired after traveling “around the world a couple of times” in the days before the deabte.
The 81-year-old said he “almost fell asleep on stage” on Thursday during his clash with Donald Trump.
It comes as many, including those from his own party, have further questioned the president’s cognitive ability and whether he would be up to the role for four more years, should he be re-elected in November.
In remarks shared by pool reporters who attended a private fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, Biden said he “wasn’t very smart” for his trips before the debate.
“I decided to travel around the world a couple of times… shortly before the debate… I didn’t listen to my staff… and then I almost fell asleep on stage,” he said.
Biden’s schedule had indeed been filled with both national and international travel in the days and weeks leading up to the debate, duirng which he spoke in a raspy voice, paused for long periods of time, and appeared to lose his train of thought.
On June 16 he hosted a glitzy fundraiser event in Los Angeles, alongside stars including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, where he raised some $30m for his campaign. Several days earlier he had been at his family home in Wilmington, Delaware, following the guilty verdict agains his son Hunter Biden.
The week before he had joined other world leaders in France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6.
Biden’s comments, which he described as “not an excuse but an explanation” for his debate performance come as his campaign tries to play down the age-factor in the presidential face.
As the oldest-ever serving US president, Biden would be 82 by the time he took the oath of office for the second time in January 2025 – should he win.
Returning to the Oval Office would entail four more years of further international travel.
