President Biden told a gathering of nearly two dozen Democratic governors at the White House Wednesday night that he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours — and even avoid events held after 8 p.m. — despite indications he can only handle the rigors of the job between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Biden’s acknowledgment was reported by the New York Times, citing two people who took part in the high-stakes meeting and others who were briefed on the comment.
During the same gathering, the outlet reported, Biden responded to a question from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green about his health by saying while his health was fine, the problem was “just my brain,” an apparent attempt at humor that went unrecognized by at least one state leader in the room.
The president’s shocking admission about his limitations comes despite his repeated intention to continue his run for a second term following a disastrous debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump June 27 in Atlanta.
The president blamed his lackluster effort on his extensive foreign travel — despite the fact that he had been in the Eastern Time Zone for 10 days prior to the debate, including a solid week of prep at Camp David.
Days after the debate, Axios reported, citing White House aides, that the president is prone to absent-minded gaffes and fatigue whenever he takes part in an event held before 10 a.m. in the morning or after 4 p.m. in the afternoon.