the president Joe Biden He admitted to underperforming on Tuesday night last week’s discussion He said he was “not very smart” because he had traveled so much in the weeks leading up to the event in Atlanta.
“I decided to travel around the world a few times … shortly before the debate,” Biden said at a campaign fundraiser in McLean, Virginia.
“I didn’t listen to my staff … and then I almost fell asleep on stage,” he said.
“It’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation,” he said. Aides have previously said Biden suffered a cold during the debate.
It was not immediately clear to what extent Biden was joking about almost falling asleep. Cameras are not allowed at its fundraisers, and the media relies on written pool reports. Biden has a history of making blunt or unexpected comments at fundraisers.
He apologized for his poor performance and stressed that it was “critical” to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
Biden last month He went to France To celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and later returned to the US before departing. GSeven groups Summit in Italy. He then one Fundraiser in Los Angeles and then spent several days preparing for the debate at Camp David, Maryland.
Biden continues defends his ability to take on Trump after a debate performance punctuated by a raspy voice and rhetorical missteps many Democrats worry.
On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, became the first Democrat to sit in Congress. Call on Biden to back down from the race.
At a campaign rally on Friday, Biden first addressed his performance the night before.
“I know I’m not getting any younger,” Biden, 81, told supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I don’t walk as easily as before. I don’t speak as easily as before. I don’t argue like I used to, but I know what I know – I know how to tell the truth!”
Biden is the oldest president in American history. Trump, 78, is the second oldest.