US officials who have worked with Biden in recent months leading up to the debate have noted that he has been increasingly confused and listless and would lose the thread of conversations behind closed doors, the report said on Tuesday.
A senior European official registered a noticeable decline in Biden’s state during the recent Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy, adding that Europeans were in shock to see a US president who was "out of it" and difficult to engage in conversation.
During the summit, European leaders were privately discussing Biden’s physical condition and had to walk slower next to him to avoid embarrassing him, according to the official. In addition, they even had to close their ranks around him at moments when Biden did not appear to be stable and cameras were around.
A former US official said, "I just don’t know" when asked if one could imagine Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the same room. A former European official answered the same question by saying, "No."
Discussions on how soon Biden may either resign or be forced to step down for medical reasons erupted across even the US mainstream media and web platforms following the president's dismal performance in his Thursday night debate with former President Donald Trump.
However, the Biden campaign said that it has not held any discussions about replacing Biden with an alternative nominee for the presidency.