Joe Biden Says He 'Almost Fell Asleep' on Debate Stage

President Joe Biden on Tuesday offered an "explanation" for his poor debate performance during a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia.

While addressing supporters alongside Virginia Representative Don Beyer, the president said that he "wasn't very smart" to travel in the weeks leading up to the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.

"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," Biden said, according to a pool report from Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent.

Biden also reportedly stressed that he was apologetic for his debate performance but told supporters it was "critical" to beat Trump in November. Polling has shown that the candidates are neck and neck, even after Thursday's debate in which Biden's demeanor sparked concern among Democrats.

"It's not an excuse but an explanation," the president added, per Feinberg.

It is unclear if Biden made his comment about "almost falling asleep" colloquially or in a joking manner. The president is known for making unexpected comments or quips during public events.

Newsweek reached out to the White House Press Office for comment via email on Tuesday.

The Context

Several Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the election since Thursday's debate. While fielding questions from CNN debate moderators, the president made several gaffes and spoke in a low, raspy voice. An aide for Biden told Newsweek that he was battling a cold during the event.

Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first sitting Democrat to call on the president to step down, joining a list of other party members who have questioned Biden's reelection efforts. The president's campaign has said that there are no plans among party leaders to replace the president with another candidate before November.

What We Know

Biden did make several trips in the weeks leading up to the debate. On June 13, the president joined other leaders for the Group of Seven summit in Apulia, Italy. Two days later, he flew to Los Angeles for a celebrity-filled fundraiser alongside former President Barack Obama, where his campaign said he raised at least $28 million, per a report from Politico.

On June 17, Biden welcomed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House to discuss the alliance's defense spending and plans for the 75th NATO Summit hosted in Washington, D.C., later this month.

Reuters reported that Biden headed to Camp David on June 21 to begin debate prep six days before he took the stage. White House aides who traveled with the president told Reuters that Biden was "in a good mood" on his way to prepare.

Trump, on the other hand, spent his days leading up to the debate on the campaign trail, including making appearances in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, as reported by the Associated Press. Trump also spent two days at his Mar-a-Lago estate preparing for the debate before traveling to Atlanta for the event hosted by CNN.

Views

Supporters of Biden have maintained that the president's rough debate is not a cause of concern before November. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the top choice to replace Biden if the president does drop out of the election, told CNN in an interview after the debate that while Biden had a "slow start," the president made "a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people."

"Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish," Harris told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "What became very clear over the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance."

Obama also made a statement in the days after the debate dismissing concerns over Biden's ability to serve, writing in a post to X, formerly Twitter, "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself."

CNN's fact-checkers tracked at least 30 false statements made by Trump during the 90-minute debate last week. Biden, on the other hand, reportedly made nine false or misleading statements.

Trump also made history in May by becoming the first former U.S. president to be convicted of criminal charges. The former president was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsify business records in connection to hush money paid in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Daniels claims the payment was intended to keep her quiet about an alleged extramarital affair between her and Trump. The former president denies that an affair occurred.

Trump also faces three other criminal indictments while running for reelection—including over his activities surrounding the January 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol waged by his supporters—as he's accused in attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

A public-opinion poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos that closed on Tuesday found that roughly a third of Democratic voters believe Biden should drop out of the race. The results were based on the online responses of 1,070 U.S. adults.

That same poll, however, found that no prominent Democrat performs better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump. Both Trump and Biden also maintained the support of roughly 40 percent of registered voters, Reuters reported, meaning that Biden had "not lost ground" in the aftermath of the debate.

What's Next

The Democratic National Committee is scheduled to meet in Chicago on August 19, when the party will announce its official nomination for president. The Republican National Committee will convene in Milwaukee on July 15.

The next debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET September 10 and will be hosted by ABC News.

Update 07/02/24, 8:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.