 last week. In the weeks leading up to the debate, Biden traveled to France for the anniversary of D-Day and to Italy for the G7 summit. The audience laughed when Biden said he nearly fell asleep on the debate stage. He said it wasn't an excuse, but it was an explanation. It's the most detail Biden has gotten into semi-publicly on his lackluster debate performance. Deepa Shivaram, NPR News, the White House.