"Almost Fell Asleep": Joe Biden Blames Bad Preparation, Jet Lag For Bad Performance In Debate
During the first 2024 US presidential debate last week, President Joe Biden shockingly struggled to articulate his points when his rival and Republican candidate Donald Trump repeated several falsehoods, leaving his supporter and democrats in dismay.
Amid discussions on his humiliating performance, President Joe Biden today blamed jet lag from his overseas trips for the disastrous moments in the debate against Donald Trump.
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The 81-year-old acknowledged that he “almost fell asleep on stage” during the debate, causing apparent fumbling amid the conversation. While addressing a fundraiser, the president said that it was not an excuse, but an explanation, noting he was “not very smart for traveling around the world a couple of times… shortly before the debate.”
According to people who observed the President, Biden was dragging and was not steady after his recent tours. He had made two overseas trips in recent times. Biden went to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, back to the United States, and then to Italy to attend the G7 summit, reportedly making him exhausted.
Read Also: Bad Preparation And Exhaustion Reasons For Joe Biden’s Poor Performance During Presidential Debate?
“My only request was make sure he’s rested before the debate, but he was exhausted. He was unwell,” news agency Routers quoted a source, who called the decision to send Biden out looking sick and exhausted as “bad.”
However, the president’s explanation came amid increasing pressures following the disastrous June 27th debate. The already gaffe-prone Biden’s train-wreck debate has raised doubts about his cognitive ability to continue in office for the next term if elected as President. Taking the opportunity, rival candidate Trump unleashed several false claims and allegations including rigging during the 2020 elections.
The latest incident is also expected to follow an even closer monitoring of the President’s ability for frequent travelling and packed schedules.
However, though the first debate was dubbed as a “bad night” even by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the President has vowed to come back for his second debate against Trump.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also stated that people across the world were looking at what Biden has done since coming into office, not just one night. Amid concerns about the cognitive health of the president, Biden has reportedly decided to stay determined.
