Biden confesses to nearly falling asleep during debate as calls for his resignation mount

"I almost fell asleep on stage," Biden explains, citing exhaustion from global travels.

President Joe Biden recently addressed the public's concerns about his performance during last week's debate against former President Donald Trump, admitting he nearly fell asleep on stage.

The admission comes after a debate performance that has sparked widespread calls for Biden to step down.

Speaking to donors at a fundraiser in Virginia on Tuesday, Biden explained, “I wasn’t very smart. 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.”

The president had been at Camp David preparing for the debate before leaving for Atlanta on the morning of June 27.

Prior to his stay at Camp David, he attended the G7 summit in Italy on June 14.

“It’s not an excuse but an explanation,” Biden said, adding that winning the next election is "critical."

Biden's debate performance left many viewers concerned as he struggled to answer questions and spoke in a low, raspy tone.

At several moments, he appeared to freeze and stare off into the distance, prompting Trump to comment, "I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either."

Political advisors and commentators quickly weighed in. David Axelrod, a longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama, told CNN, “I think the panic had set in. And I think you’re going to hear discussions that, I don’t know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”

Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, agreed, saying, “He did not do well at all.”

The debate performance has led some Democratic leaders to call for Biden to step down from the race.

One Democratic politician told NBC News it's "time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic nominee."

A party strategist added, "This debate is a nail in the political coffin" and described Biden as "babbling."

Democrats could attempt to replace Biden before the Democratic National Convention on August 19, but a new candidate would need to be chosen, and no one is currently lined up for the position.

Adding to the controversy, Biden criticized the Supreme Court's recent ruling that affords Trump absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts.

He argued that this decision essentially makes Trump "a king above the law" and poses a "dangerous new precedent."

Trump responded to Biden's remarks on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling it "another attack" from the president.

"This is a really bad and incompetent guy. Wanted to deflect from his horrible campaign performance!"