Biden says debate was a ‘bad night,’ not a bigger problem
The president said in the interview that he was “sick” and “feeling terrible” before the debate. Asked whether it was a bad episode or a sign of a more serious condition, Biden dismissed those concerns.
“It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing, and I had a bad night,” he said.
In the interview, Biden gave more details about how he was feeling at the time of the debate, saying he was fatigued from illness and had even been tested for Covid-19. The White House did not immediately respond to CNN’s inquiry as to whether the president took the test before or after the debate.
He said, “I was feeling terrible. As a matter of fact, the docs with me I asked if they did a Covid test, they were trying to figure out what’s wrong. They did a test to see whether or not I had some infection, you know, a virus. I didn’t. I just had a really bad cold.”
The comment about his illness marked the latest turn in the White House’s description of the president’s physical condition during the debate. White House officials told reporters during the debate that the president had a cold, and then on Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed the idea that Biden had been seen by his doctor, repeatedly saying that the president has had no medical exams since his February physical.