Under-pressure Biden says he almost ‘fell asleep’ during debate

Matthew CranstonUnited States correspondent

Updated Jul 3, 2024 – 11.40am, first published at 4.27am

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Washington | US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) blamed exhaustion from extensive travel for his poor performance on stage during last week’s debate against rival Donald Trump, as pressure grows from within his party to end his re-election bid.

Support among voters has slumped in the polls since his embarrassing performance in the presidential debate, and the first Democrat in Congress on Tuesday called for him to step aside before the November 5 election.

Matthew Cranston is the United States correspondent, based in Washington. He was previously the Economics correspondent and Property editor.