During a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, U.S. President Joe Biden admitted that his performance during last Thursday’s presidential debate against former President Donald Trump was not his best. He attributed his lackluster debate showing to jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June. Biden stated that he nearly fell asleep on stage, emphasizing that while it is no excuse, it does provide an explanation.
Biden traveled to France and Italy in two separate trips within two weeks last month. He flew overnight from the Group of Seven summit in Bari, Italy, to attend a fundraiser with former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles on June 15 before returning to Washington the next day. Following this, he spent six days at Camp David preparing for the June 27 debate. White House officials initially attributed Biden’s halting performance during the debate to a cold, but Biden did not mention being sick during the recent fundraiser.
Despite calls from one House of Representatives fellow Democrat to withdraw from the race, Biden’s support among Democrats remains steady in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll closed on Tuesday and showed that one in three Democrats think Biden should end his reelection bid following the debate. However, no prominent elected Democrat does any better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump. Both Trump and Biden maintain the support of 40% of registered voters, indicating that Biden has not lost ground since the debate. Election Day is scheduled for November 5th