US President Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed foreign travel for his poor debate performance last week, saying that he almost fell asleep on the stage last week. “I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times … shortly before the debate,” he said while talking to donors at a fundraiser in Virginia, as quoted by The Hill . “I didn’t listen to my staff … and then I almost fell asleep on stage.” According to the report, the President was in Camp David for debate prep for a whole week before it, traveling there on June 20. He left Camp David on the morning of June 27 to travel to Atlanta for the debate. He returned from a trip to Italy for the Group of Seven summit on June 14, six days before heading to Camp David. Before the trip to Italy, he traveled to France for the D-Day anniversary, which is on June 6. “It’s not an excuse but an explanation,” he said on Tuesday, according to The Hill . He also told the room full of donors that he was sorry for the performance but stressed that it was “critical” to win the election. The comments come amid calls for Biden to step down following his dismal debate against former President Donald Trump, during which he struggled to finish sentences and spoke in a quiet, raspy voice. The President on Friday resisted calls for him to withdraw from the race. Biden acknowledged at a North Carolina event that he is no longer young but insisted he is capable of getting the job done. "I know I'm not a young man," he said, adding, "I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't walk as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know -- I know how to tell the truth, I know right from wrong, and I know how to do this job.” Earlier on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions over President Biden’s mental state. Peppered with questions over the debate during a briefing with reporters, she noted that the president has received medical examinations, which have been made public, and that he will keep traversing the country throughout the 2024 campaign. “This is why we’re going to go out there and continue to go out there and do interviews and talk to the American people. At the end of the day … the American people will see for themselves,” she said, according to The Hill . She added that Biden “has worked incredibly hard for the American people” and is “committed” to continuing his leadership. Related articles: Ex-Aide reveals Biden's mental condition during campaign Harris aides discussed, 'What happens if Biden dies in office' Former student denounces detention as ‘anti-Palestinian racism’ Trump ends Secret Service protection for Biden’s children Jean-Pierre also multiple times acknowledged that it was “a bad night” for Biden and stressed that she is taking the questions about Biden’s ability to serve seriously, while some Democrats have expressed that the campaign is dismissing concerns post-debate. “I see it as a legitimate question, I do and I understand, it is a fair question to ask. The president sees it as a legitimate question,” she said. “We are acknowledging what people are seeing.”
