Hunter Biden is attributing his father’s widely criticized performance in the first 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump to a combination of exhaustion and prescription sleep medication.
In a new interview released Monday—marking exactly one year since Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign—Hunter Biden told journalist Andrew Callaghan that the former president had taken Ambien shortly before the high-stakes debate.
“He flew around the world basically … he’s 81 years old, he’s tired as s—,” Hunter said. “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.”
The June 2024 debate was a turning point in Biden’s campaign, as the president struggled to deliver coherent answers, spoke in a raspy voice, and appeared visibly confused at times—raising alarm among Democratic supporters and fueling GOP attacks on his age and fitness.
While Biden’s team at the time said he had a cold and had been overworked from travel, Hunter’s interview is the first time anyone close to the former president has publicly suggested that Ambien played a role in the performance.
Biden had returned from two trips to Europe in the weeks leading up to the debate but had been back in Washington for nearly two weeks before facing Trump on stage.
Roughly a month after the debate, Biden announced he would not seek re-election, clearing the path for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.
Hunter’s comments come as House Republicans continue their probe into Biden’s cognitive health during the final stretch of his presidency. The House Oversight Committee has called several top aides to testify in closed-door sessions, including Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff; Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden’s former chief of staff; and Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the former White House physician.
All three have invoked their Fifth Amendment rights, refusing to answer questions. Legal experts say it’s not unusual for witnesses to decline to testify in politically charged investigations.
Hunter Biden’s interview is expected to further energize GOP efforts to scrutinize President Biden’s final year in office and the decisions made behind the scenes leading up to his withdrawal from the race.
