SLEEPY JOE
Joe Biden admits he nearly ‘fell asleep on stage’ during disastrous Trump debate as he blames poor performance on travel
The president urgently addressed his donors about the debate
JOE Biden has bizarrely admitted he nearly fell asleep during his debate against Donald Trump last week - after the disastrous performance sparked calls for him to step down.
The president addressed the public's concerns about his performance against Trump on Tuesday, noting that his trips around the world in recent weeks played a huge factor.
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“I wasn’t very smart," Biden said while talking to donors at a fundraiser in Virginia.
"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.”
Before the debate, the president was at Camp David prepping for the major event.
He was said to have left for Atlanta on June 27, the morning of the debate.
Before he was in Camp David, the president took a trip to Italy for the G7 summit on June 14.
“It’s not an excuse but an explanation,” Biden said Tuesday.
He apologized but also stressed that it was “critical” for him to win the next election.
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The president kept his speech brief, only speaking to donors for about six minutes.
DEBATE PANIC
It came after he shocked the nation with his debate performance last week, in which he struggled to answer questions and spoke in a low and raspy tone on stage.
The president also appeared to freeze and stare off into the distance at numerous moments during the weak clash.
Joe Biden holding crisis talks with family after ‘crushing’ in Trump debate as Dems call for ‘feeble’ president to go
At one point, Trump huffed that he couldn't understand the president.
"I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence," Trump said during the debate.
"I don’t think he knows what he said either."
viewers were quick to voice their concerns for the president during and after the debate.
Where was Biden?
Before the debate, the president claimed to have been doing a lot of traveling, which ruined his perfomance. So where exactly was he?
- June 6: President Biden was in France for the D-Day anniversary
- June 14: He had just come back from a trip to Italy for the Group of Seven summit
- June 20: The president was in Camp David for debate prep
- June 27: He left Camp David to travel to Atlanta for the debate.
- June 27: President Biden faced off against Donald Trump in the first presidential debate.
Credit: The Hill
“I think the panic had set in,” said David Axelrod, a longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama on CNN.
“And I think you’re going to hear discussions that, I don’t know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”
Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, also agreed with Axelrod saying, “He did not do well at all.”
Some Democratic leaders began to call for the president to step down in the race.
One Democratic politician told NBC News it's "time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic nominee".
A party strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns also claimed that "this debate is a nail in the political coffin" and "babbling" Biden "is reaffirming everything voters already perceived".
Democrats could still try ousting Biden before he is officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention on August 19.
However, delegates would have to choose another candidate - and there is currently no one lined up for the position.
'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT'
The president's remarks on Tuesday come after he slammed the Supreme Court's ruling on Monday affording Trump absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts.
Biden claimed that the latest move made Trump "a king above the law."
Trump was indicted on several felonies including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of official proceedings regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The ruling would extend the delay in the Washington criminal case, making it less likely that Trump will be tried before the presidential election.
Biden claimed that giving the former president certain immunities meant there would be "virtually no limits on what a president can do."
"This is a fundamentally new principal and a dangerous new precedent," he added.
He went on to theorize that this meant that Americans would never know exactly what happened on January 6, 2021.
"The American people deserve to have an answer in the court before the upcoming election," he said.
After Biden shuffled off stage, Trump was quick to respond to his latest remarks on his social media platform, Truth Social, referring to it as "another attack," from the president.
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"Another attack by Crooked Joe Biden against his Political Opponent," he said.
"This is a really bad and incompetent guy. Wanted to deflect from his horrible campaign performance!"
What are Trump and Biden's platforms?
A look at what issues matter most to the candidates.
Biden's talking points:
- The importance of democracy after the January 6 attack on the Capitol
- Advocate for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 judgment in 2022
- His Build Back Better plan, the $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill introduced in 2021
- Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
- Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during his presidency
Trump's talking points:
- Slam issues at the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 win
- Criticize the slew of criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him
- Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he hasn't said which country he wants to win
- Advocate for parents' rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality, and race in schools