Biden says he almost fell asleep during debate with Trump

Following criticism, US President Joe Biden said he did not do well in the debate against candidate and former President Donald Trump last Thursday (June 27, 2024). During a campaign event in Virginia, the Democrat said he almost fell asleep on the debate stage and blamed the jet lag (sleep disorder due to jet lag) from 2 trips abroad.

“I didn’t have the best night, but the fact is, you know, I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world a few times, passing through about 100 time zones before the debate.”Biden said on Tuesday (02.Jul.2024).

He added: “I didn’t listen to my team and I came back, I almost fell asleep on stage. That’s not an excuse, but it’s an explanation.”

The president traveled to France and Italy on two separate trips in June, then spent six days at Camp David, the presidential retreat, preparing for the debate.

Biden’s performance in the debate worried Democrats. At various points, he appeared confused by Trump’s offensive remarks, stuttered, was unable to finish his speeches and had a distant look in his eyes.

He also had an apparent irritation in his throat that made him cough and clear his throat several times.

A survey released on Tuesday (2.Jul.2024) by CNN showed that 75% of Democrats believe the party would do better in the race for the White House if the president dropped out of his re-election campaign.

In the poll, alternatives to Biden were presented – but they all fall behind Trump numerically in an electoral dispute scenario.

The research was done by SSRS Polling from June 28 to 30 and published by CNN. 1,274 adults were interviewed, of which 1,045 were eligible to vote. The margin of error is 3.8 pp, either way.

Here are the results of the research:

The possible replacements for Joe Biden presented by the survey were:

• Gavin Newsom, Governor of California;
• Pete ButtigiegSecretary of Transportation;
• Gretchen Whitmergovernor of Michigan;
• Kamala Harrisvice president of the United States.

However, according to the survey, everyone was numerically behind Trump in a hypothetical scenario of an electoral dispute against the Republican. The best choice to replace Biden, according to the survey, would be vice president Kamala Harris. The performance would be as follows:

• Gavin Newsom 43% x 48% Donald Trump;
• Pete Buttigieg 43% x 47% Donald Trump;
• Gretchen Whitmer 42% x 47% Donald Trump;
• Kamala Harris 45% x 47% Donald Trump.

In the hypothetical scenario of an election against the Republican, the US vice president would have greater support among women than Biden, with the support of 50% of female voters. Between Trump and Biden, 44% of women would support the current president.

Trump vs Biden dispute

In addition to the hypothetical scenarios, the survey of CNN shows that Trump remains ahead of Biden in the race. The Republican has 49% of voting intentions among citizens eligible to vote, while the Democrat has 43%.