US President Elections: United States President Joe Biden has blamed his poor debate performance against Donald Trump last week on jet lag. Speaking to reporters, Biden said that he "was not very smart" for "travelling around the world a couple of times" ahead of the debate. "I didn’t listen to my staff... and then I nearly fell asleep on stage,” he said, as quoted by the BBC. The US President last returned from travel on 15 June, nearly two weeks ahead of the 27 June debate.
His remarks come amid a sense of panic within his party ahead of the presidential elections slated for November over his mental fitness, and after a congressman from Texas became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call for him to step aside after he debated with Trump.
In a statement on Tuesday, Rep Lloyd Doggett said, "I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw," as quoted by the BBC. Biden, 81, appeared to struggle through some responses during a debate with former President Donald Trump last Thursday. Speaking about his travel at a private fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday evening, he said, "It’s not an excuse but an explanation.”
The US President also apologised for his performance and said it was "critical" that he wins re-election, the BBC reported, citing ABC News. He made two separate trips to Europe in two weeks in June. On June 15, he appeared at a fundraiser alongside former President Barack Obama after an overnight trip from Italy. He returned to Washington, D.C., the next day.
White House officials have previously stated that Biden was suffering from a cold on the day of the debate. Biden, however, did not mention any illness in his remarks on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, a spokeswoman for the White House said that he was not taking any cold medication during the debate.
Biden also spent six days at Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington D.C., where he was making preparations for his debate against the former US President. As far as his schedule is concerned, Biden’s days began at 11:00 each morning, and he was given time each day to nap, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source.
According to the leading daily, he was so exhausted from his travel that his debate preparations were cut short by two days to allow him time to rest at his beach house in Delaware.
Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden, said that during his time at Camp David, the president began "working well before" 11:00, following his exercise routine, as reported by the BBC. He is currently the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for the White House.
Biden Wows To Remain In President Race Despite Debate Performance
US President Biden has vowed to stay in the race for the top post despite his performance in the debate. In his Tuesday statement, Rep. Doggett, 77, said the debate solidified his decision to urge Biden to step aside.
Criticising Biden for his performance in the debate, Doggett said, "Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies," as quoted by the BBC.
Doggett was sworn in in 1995 and is running for reelection. He said too much is at stake to risk the president losing to Trump over fears about his age. "While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional," the congressman said of Biden.
"He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process," Doggett said. "My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly, nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” he further stated.