Hunter Biden Blames Ambien for Father's Debacle Presidential Debate Performance

Strategic Insights -

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, has given an in-depth interview to YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan, detailing how his father's potential sleep disorder, treated with the medication Ambien, may have contributed to his poor performance in a 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump. "I know exactly what happened in that debate," Hunter said, "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."

Key Takeaways:

  • Hunter Biden believes his father's use of Ambien, a medication for sleep disorders, may have contributed to his poor debate performance.
  • President Biden was 81 years old at the time of the debate and had traveled extensively before it.
  • The debate performance was considered disastrous, with President Biden stumbling over his words and failing to make a clear case for his re-election.
  • Hunter Biden claims that there was little opposition to President Biden running again before the debate, but opposition increased significantly after the debate.
  • In the aftermath of the debate, Hunter's father stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee, paving the way for then-vice president Kamala Harris to run in his stead.
  • Hunter Biden also spoke about his father's subsequent public appearances, including an interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos and an appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he referred to Zelensky as "Vladimir."
  • Hunter lashed out at Hollywood actor George Clooney, who had written a New York Times editorial calling on President Biden to drop out of the race.
  • Others have pointed to Hunter's own role in bringing down his father's presidency, including his prosecution on tax and gun charges, which led to speculation that the president may have received favorable treatment because of his privileged position.
  • The book "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America" by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf argues that President Biden was preoccupied with the prospect of his son going to prison at the height of the election campaign.

Statistics:

  • President Biden was 81 years old at the time of the debate.
  • He had traveled extensively before the debate.
  • The debate performance was considered disastrous by Republican opponent Donald Trump.
  • President Biden subsequently stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee, paving the way for then-vice president Kamala Harris to run in his stead.
  • Kamala Harris lost to Trump in the general election in November 2024.
  • Hunter Biden was diagnosed with Covid-19 in July 2024.

Sources:

  • "Hunter Biden interview" by Andrew Callaghan, YouTube, July 21, 2025.
  • "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America" by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf.