'It's Just My Brain': Joe Biden Tells Democrat Governors That He Needs More Rest, Work Less At Night

During a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday, President Joe Biden explained that he is staying in the race and that his staff will alter his schedule to ensure fewer events after 8 PM and that he can get more sleep. The comments come after some elected Democrats and high-profile media personalities have called for the president to withdraw from the race following the 81-year-old Democrat's disastrous debate performance.

According to The New York Times, the president reportedly told the governors, many of whom requested the meeting after being worried about Biden's chances in the general election, that his debate disaster was caused by his extensive foreign travel before the debate, something the White House has been pushing in recent days. Despite initially alleging that Biden suffered from a cold during the debate, the White House has since claimed that his recent travels to Europe, which took place more than a week and a half before the debate, impacted his performance.

On top of blaming his foreign travels, Biden told the governors that his schedule has been too demanding and that he will work with his staff to ensure a more balanced approach that allows him to rest more often. According to a recent Axios report, White House sources familiar with the president's behavior during the day say that Biden is "dependably engaged" from 10 AM to 4 PM and that outside of those hours, he is more likely to be fatigued, be less cogent, and have multiple gaffes.

When Gov. Josh Green (D-HI), a physician, asked about his health, President Biden said that his health was fine, telling the Democrat executives, "It's just my brain." Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon later came out and explained Biden "was clearly making a joke" about his health rather than the remark being serious. A campaign spokesman, Kevin Munoz, came out after the meeting and stated, per The Times, that Biden needs to adjust his schedule to strike a healthy balance like presidents in the past. "President Bush went to bed at 9, and President Obama made dinner at 6:30. Normal presidents strike a balance, and so does Joe Biden," he said. "Hardly the same rigor as Donald Trump who spends half of his day ranting on Truth Social about plans that would cause a recession and other half golfing."

The meeting with some of the most important officials in the Democrat Party seemed to reassure them of his competence. "[Joe Biden] is our nominee. He is in it to win it, and I support him," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) wrote to X after the meeting. "I heard three words from the President tonight -- he's all in. And so am I. [Joe Biden] 's had our back. Now it's time to have his," Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) wrote. 

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