Hunter Biden has claimed that his father, former U.S. President Joe Biden, was under the influence of the sleep aid Ambien and suffering extreme fatigue during the disastrous June 2024 presidential debate that ultimately ended his re-election campaign.
In an interview released on Monday with YouTube creator Andrew Callaghan, the younger Biden offered a frank assessment of what he says went wrong in the debate against Donald Trump, which saw the then-incumbent president visibly struggle to complete thoughts and maintain focus on stage.
“I know exactly what happened in that debate,” Hunter Biden said. “He flew around the world, basically the mileage he could have flown around the world three times. He’s 81 years old. He’s tired as shit.”
“They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he’s a deer in the headlights,” he added.
Ambien is a prescription medication commonly used for short-term treatment of insomnia. The former president’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the claims.
Joe Biden had prepared for the high-stakes debate at Camp David with close aides. However, his demanding schedule in the lead-up, including two overseas trips and a high-profile fundraiser on the U.S. West Coast, may have taken a toll. In the days following the debate, Biden publicly attributed his poor performance to jet lag.
The 27 June debate proved to be a turning point in the 2024 presidential election. Amid mounting pressure and a widening gap in polling against Trump, Biden formally withdrew from the race less than a month later. His vice president, Kamala Harris, was selected as the Democratic nominee but went on to lose to Trump in the November election.
Biden slams Democratic Party members
Hunter Biden also criticised members of the Democratic Party who distanced themselves from his father following the debate. He expressed frustration with lawmakers, strategists and commentators who, in his view, were quick to abandon the president.
The interview marks one of the most candid public statements from a member of the Biden family regarding the former president’s fitness and the internal challenges leading to his campaign’s collapse.
The Biden campaign’s handling of the debate fallout, and the lack of transparency over the president’s health, remain subjects of intense political debate in the United States, as Democrats now face a period of reckoning following their loss in the 2024 race.
