A soft-spoken President Joe Biden reportedly admitted Tuesday that he put on a sleepy performance at the first debate of the year last week against former President Donald Trump, and the Democrat told donors a tough travel schedule was to blame.
The Democrat tried to explain his lackluster showing in Atlanta during a private fundraiser in Virginia, Axios reporter Alex Thompson reported Tuesday night.
"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," he said, according to Thompson.
Biden reportedly apologized but called it "critical" to win on Nov. 5.
"It's not an excuse but an explanation," he said in the six-minute speech.
On Friday, Biden's former boss Barrack Obama weighed in on the subject, saying, "Bad debate nights happen."
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"Trust me, I know," he said.
The internet didn't appear to buy Biden's explanation.
"What? He had days to rest and prep following the trip," @MikeBrice wrote on X.
"And somehow his donors thought this was valid? He travels in the equivalent first class hotel with a full staff to wait on him and make sure he is well rested..he isn’t bouncing around the world in the back of a bus for God’s sake," wrote @Seethemscatter2.
Since the two squared off, reports emerged that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) quietly predicted the president's implosion, which also caught former President Barack Obama's attention.
"The excuses are coming fast and furiously," wrote @CrazyNation4.
