Biden admits fatigue and almost falling asleep during Trump debate

During a meeting with donors in McLean, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., Biden emphasized that, despite warnings from his aides, his decision to travel right before the debate was his personal choice.

- I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times … shortly before the debate (...) I didn’t listen to my staff and I came back and then I almost fell asleep on stage - said the president, quoted by journalists present at the event, apologizing for his poor performance.

- Not an excuse but an explanation - he added.

Earlier, during Tuesday's press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained that Biden was dealing with a cold and a sore throat but denied that the president was taking any cold medications.

In June, Biden made two trips to Europe. The first took place from June 4 to 7, when the president visited France. Then, from June 13 to 15, he went to Italy, where he attended the G7 leaders' summit.

Directly after returning from Italy, the president flew to Los Angeles. However, he spent the last week before the debate preparing for the clash with Trump at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland.

According to information provided by "The New York Times," the president - like his younger aides - was so exhausted after a series of trips that it was decided to shorten the debate preparations by two days. Biden spent those days at his home in the seaside resort of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

"The New York Times" also notes that although the president usually appears mentally sharp, he has recently had more frequent gaffes, slip-ups, or pauses. His stay in Italy was described as "marked by moments of sharpness in important meetings," including on the topic of using Russian assets to support Ukraine, but also moments where Biden seemed to be lost.