Hunter Biden Blames Ambien for President Biden’s Poor Debate Performance

In a recently released interview, Hunter Biden claimed that then-President Joe Biden was given Ambien, a prescription sleep aid, before his disastrous June 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump. The comment has drawn sharp criticism and raised fresh concerns about Biden’s mental fitness during his presidency.

“I know exactly what happened in that debate,” Hunter Biden said in the interview with YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan. “He flew around the world. He’s 81 years old. He’s tired. They give him Ambien to sleep and he gets up on the stage and looks like a deer in the headlights.”

Hunter’s claim contradicts President Biden’s official medical records, which list six medications but do not include Ambien. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician, did not mention the drug in his February 2024 report, and no prescription appears in public disclosures.

The June 27 debate came shortly after Biden returned from overseas travel, including the G7 summit in Italy and D-Day events in France. He spent a week at Camp David preparing, but his performance sparked panic among Democrats and ultimately led to his withdrawal from the 2024 race.

Republicans seized on Hunter’s statement. “How much Ambien was Joe Biden taking every day as president?” asked CNN’s Scott Jennings. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) accused Democrats and the media of misleading the public. Following Kamala Harris’s loss to Trump, Democrats are now in disarray ahead of the 2026 midterms.