Amid growing concerns surrounding President Biden’s fitness to serve another term in office, one Democrat in Congress defended him by suggesting he may have been “overprepared” for last month’s debate.
Biden spoke with a raspy voice and appeared to lose his train of thought throughout the debate, but the president blamed his “bad night” on having a cold and recent international travel.
“The circumstances that led to that – a combination of not being 100% healthy, having the former president heckling and making noises on the side of him distracting him, and even being perhaps overprepared – these are all things we will better prepare for,” Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., told CNN in defense of the president’s performance.
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Rep. Troy Carter walks out of the U.S. Capitol after meeting with lawmakers about Black entrepreneurship on June 5, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla)
Carter said the focus should be on how Biden appeared at events in the days following the debate, rather than the night itself.
“You will see the Joe Biden that you saw the next day and that you have seen every single day since that debate. An energized, coherent, well-planned, and understanding the policies that he has worked so hard to make reality,” Carter said.
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The Democrat noted that despite the performance, he is supporting the president’s re-election bid.
President Biden speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School on July 5, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“If you recall the very day he had color back in his skin, he was energetic, he was able to speak, and he admitted that he had a bad day and a bad performance. No one is running from that,” Carter told the outlet. “This president is ready, and we stand with him.”
Biden spent a week preparing for the debate at Camp David surrounded by over a dozen aides to help him prepare for the event.
Carter’s office did not respond to several requests for comment for purposes of this story.
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House and Senate Democrats have raised concerns over Biden’s strength as a candidate since the debate, but Biden has said he will not drop out of the race.
