Joe Biden has blamed jet lag for his poor debate performance on Thursday after two overseas trips earlier in June.
The US president has faced mounting questions about his 2024 re-election bid after last week’s shaky debate performance, with one House of Representatives fellow Democrat on Tuesday publicly calling on him to withdraw from the race.
Speaking at a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, Mr Biden admitted the debate against Donald Trump did not go well.
“I didn’t have my best night, but the fact is that you know, I wasn’t very smart,” Mr Biden said.
“I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones…before…the debate.
“Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” he said.
“That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”