US President Joe Biden acknowledged his subpar performance in last Thursday’s presidential debate but attributed it to jet lag from recent travels.
During a Tuesday event in McLean, Virginia, Biden confessed the debate with Donald Trump didn’t go as planned. “I didn’t have my best night, but I wasn’t very smart about my travel schedule,” he explained, noting he had circled the globe, crossing numerous time zones before the debate.
Biden described how he ignored advice from his staff and nearly dozed off on stage, citing fatigue but not excusing his performance. Earlier in June, Biden had been to France and Italy, quickly turning from the G7 summit in Bari, Italy, to a Los Angeles fundraiser with Barack Obama, then back to Washington the next day.
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Preparation for the June 27 debate involved six days at Camp David. While White House officials attributed Biden’s halting debate responses to a cold, he did not cite illness at the Virginia fundraiser.
Recent polling indicates mixed feelings within the Democratic party about Biden’s 2024 reelection bid, though he remains competitive in hypothetical matchups against Trump. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, concluding Tuesday, showed both Biden and Trump maintaining 40% support among registered voters, suggesting the debate did not sway Biden’s standing. Election Day is set for November 5.
