During a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden admitted that his performance in last week’s debate against former President Donald Trump was not his best. He attributed his poor showing to jet lag from two overseas trips earlier in June. Biden acknowledged that he did not listen to his staff’s advice and nearly fell asleep on stage during the debate, but he emphasized that this was not an excuse, just an explanation.
Biden traveled to France and Italy for two separate trips within a two-week period 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. After spending six days at Camp David preparing for the debate, Biden’s performance was affected by what White House officials cited as a cold, although Biden did not mention being sick during Tuesday’s fundraiser.
Despite mounting questions about his 2024 reelection bid following the debate, Biden maintained the support of 40% of registered voters in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday. One in three Democrats believe Biden should end his reelection bid, but no prominent elected Democrat polled better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump. The poll results indicated that Biden has not lost ground since the debate, with both him and Trump garnering equal support from voters. Election Day is set for November 5.