Hunter Biden has revealed that his father, Joe Biden, may have been under the influence of Ambien during his widely criticized 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.
In a new interview with YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan, Hunter stated, “I know exactly what happened in that debate. He flew around the world. He’s 81 years old. He’s tired. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep and he gets up on the stage and looks like a deer in the headlights.”
The timing of when the former president consumed the prescription sleep aid remains unclear. According to FDA guidelines, older adults are at a higher risk of experiencing lingering drowsiness from Ambien due to slower drug metabolism.
The debate in question, held on July 27, 2024, was seen by millions as a turning point in Biden’s re-election campaign. He appeared disengaged for long stretches and famously mumbled that he had “finally beat Medicare,” triggering public and political backlash. Hours before the event, Biden spent over four hours secluded at a nearby hotel, arriving late to inspect the CNN debate stage.
Following his poor showing, Biden faced growing pressure from within the Democratic Party to drop out of the race.
Hunter recalled the internal threats, saying, “They said, ‘We are going to blow up the party if you don’t drop out… all the way up to the convention.’”
Hunter Biden claims former US President Biden was on ?ambien? during disastrous 2024 debate with Trump
Biden officially stepped aside on July 21, 2024, endorsing then-Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
While Ambien use is common among older adults, it was notably absent from Biden’s public medical reports. A February 2024 memo from presidential physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor listed six medications Biden was taking — none of which included Ambien. A review of publicly available medical records also yielded no reference to an Ambien prescription.
O’Connor, a longtime Biden confidant, later invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during questioning by a House committee. His actions drew criticism across party lines, especially after Biden was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in May — a condition many argued should have been detected earlier.
Hunter also sought to downplay the magnitude of Democratic defections after the debate, suggesting only a few notable figures like Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi failed to offer full support.
“The entirety of the progressive side of the Democratic Party said Joe Biden has got more of our agenda accomplished in four years than any president in history,” he asserted.
Despite a post-debate effort to reassure party leaders including a televised interview and press conference — Biden’s challenges deepened. At a July 12 media event, he mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “Vladimir,” prompting renewed concerns about his cognitive state.