WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden offered many excuses for his poor performance in last week’s presidential debate. None of them did much to alleviate Democrats’ concerns about Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
In turn, Biden White House insists that these are explanations, not excuses. But they only intensified Democrats’ concerns about their presumptive nominee’s readiness.
A bad cold
In the opening moments of Thursday’s debate, shortly after Biden, 81, told a stunned audience that “we finally beat Medicare,” aides said the president had a cold.
Biden’s voice was hoarse. Her eyes seemed glassy at times. But despite the cold, he moved from the debate to a viewing party and then to a Waffle House. He then gave a powerful speech on Friday in North Carolina.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at Wednesday’s press briefing that she initially leaned on the cold as an explanation but knew his schedule and jet lag were issues. She later suggested that Biden traveled and then caught a cold, possibly linking the two.
“It was my fault,” Jean-Pierre said of not discussing jet lag sooner.
I studied a lot
Other aides said Biden simply prepared too much during his time at the Camp David presidential retreat — that the president simply got too many facts into his head.
Biden spent six full days in Maryland at Camp David, located in Catoctin Mountain Park. Jean-Pierre said Biden also performed all of his presidential duties by working late.
I do not feel well
Biden’s wife, Jill, told supporters Friday in New York City that he didn’t “feel so good” during the debate. It’s unclear what this meant, whether it was cold, a feeling of exhaustion, or something else. But the first lady made the campaign’s main argument that 90 minutes should not define her entire presidency.
Jet lag – from a trip almost two weeks earlier
Biden offered another explanation Tuesday night at a fundraiser in Virginia, saying his problem was jet lag after having gone to France, California and then Italy before spending time in Delaware and at Camp David. He arrived at Camp David on June 20, seven days before the debate. The presidential retreat takes place in the Eastern time zone, the same as CNN’s studios in Atlanta.
“I decided to go around the world a few times, crossing I don’t know how many time zones,” Biden said, adding that he went through “15 time zones” and joking that “then he came back and almost fell asleep on stage.”
That explanation raised more questions about how long Biden needs to recover from the trip.
“I would say I don’t think it’s a new excuse,” Jean-Pierre said of jet lag, adding that it had been a lot of traveling before stressing that “we certainly don’t want to explain it.”
Why He Didn’t Do More Damage Control: Air Travel
Jean-Pierre later added that Biden did no more damage control on his debate performance immediately afterward because he was traveling through North Carolina, New York and New Jersey before returning Saturday night to Camp David.
Air Force One is equipped with extensive communications equipment so presidents can stay informed while in the air.
