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By Andrew Stanton
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President Joe Biden's latest comments following his debate against Donald Trump could fuel the "Sleepy Joe" narrative pushed by the former president.
On June 27, Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, met in Atlanta for a CNN-hosted debate. Since then, Biden has faced scrutiny over his performance, as viewers noticed his voice sounded hoarse and he appeared to mumble through several answers.
The president's debate performance did little to squash concerns about his age among voters, and some members of his party, including three House Democrats, have urged him to step down from the presidential race.
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Biden's campaign has said he had a cold on the night of the debate, pointing to other appearances in which he seemed more alert. Medical experts have said that his debate performance was not necessarily a sign of cognitive decline.
Following the debate, the president has made several comments that have further raised eyebrows, including that he "almost fell asleep" during the event—a statement that may back up the "Sleepy Joe" nickname coined by his Republican opponent.
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Trump first rolled out the nickname for Biden during the 2020 election cycle, trying to paint the Democrat as being unfit for the presidency. His arguments largely faltered then, and Biden defeated him in several swing states. But the president's new remarks could be contributing to Trump's narrative.
During a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia, on July 2, Biden said he "wasn't very smart" to travel in the weeks before the debate, despite spending the week leading up to the debate preparing at Camp David.
"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," Biden said, according to a pool report from Andrew Feinberg, The Independent's White House correspondent. It is unclear whether Biden's comment was a joke.
Newsweek has contacted the Biden campaign for comment via email.
On Thursday, The New York Times reported that during a meeting with Democratic governors on July 3, Biden "repeatedly referenced pushing too hard and not listening to his team about his schedule, and said he needed to work fewer hours and avoid events after 8 p.m."
On social media, commentators reacted to reports of Biden's remarks. "Oh so he's literally 'sleepy joe' ok I mean," journalist Jules Suzdaltsev wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding, "Did they check the optics on that?"
Chris Evangelista, an editor and film critic, wrote on the platform: "Great plan! Definitely doesn't play into the 'Sleepy Joe' narrative at all, everything is fine!"
He added that he would vote for Biden if he became the Democratic nominee.
Earlier this year, Trump garnered national attention over reports that he fell asleep during his criminal trial.
In April, Dan Pfeiffer, a co-host of Pod Save America, wrote on X, "If Trump is too old and weak to stay awake at his own criminal trial, what do you think will happen in the Situation Room?"
The former president also faced criticism over his schedule while serving in the White House, specifically over reports that he would spend hours each day watching television.
Biden, seeking to quell concerns about his age, is scheduled to sit for an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Friday.
It remains unclear how much of an effect the debate had on the state of the race with regard to voters. While polls still show Trump leading, some suggest he hasn't gained much, if any, support since before the debate.
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