Joe Biden blames new theory on nightmare debate as he admits he ‘fell asleep on stage’

Joe Biden made the bizarre admission that he almost fell asleep on stage during his disatrous debate with Donald Trump last week.

The US President blamed his tiredness on travel and admitted he didn't listen to his staff's advice before taking to the stage in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 81-year-old put in a shaky performance against Trump, appearing to freeze and struggling to finish his sentences at times, prompting calls for him to step down.

Following the embarrassment of the debate, Biden addressed the concerns over his ability to serve another four years in office, putting his recent gaffes down to "travelling around the world a couple of times".

He told fundraisers in Virginia: "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. It’s not an excuse but an explanation."

Biden apologised to the donors he was speaking to, but maintained that it was "critical" for him to beat Trump in the Presidential election in November.

He was said to have travelled to Atlanta on the morning of the debate on June 27 as he was at Camp David in Maryland prepping beforehand, after returning from the G7 summit in Italy.

At one point during the debate, Trump mocked his opponent for mumbling and stumbling over his words, making it hard to hear what he was saying.

Trump joked: "I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either."

Gaffes such as these have prompted deep concerns from voters and Democrats themselves, as more and more people call for Biden to step down so another nominee can be voted in.

US media is also turning against Biden, with the New York Times, previously a supporter of the incumbent president, called for him to throw in the towel and allow a "stronger candidate" to run as the Democratic nominee.

In an opinion piece, the newspaper's editorial board accused Biden of a "reckless gamble" as he continues to run against Trump, an extremely popular candidate and clear Republican favourite from the outset.

However, Biden has so far maintained that he will not step down because he still believes himself to be the best candidate, despite not being "a young man" who can't "debate as well as I used to".