Hunter Biden Suggests Ambien May Have Contributed to Joe Biden’s Troubled Trump Debate Performance

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: SAUL LOEB, AFP via Getty Images

Could a prescription sleep aid have played a role in former President Joe Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump last year? Hunter Biden believes so.

In a candid, three-hour interview on the YouTube show Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan that aired on July 21, Hunter Biden said his father, now 82, was likely experiencing the lingering effects of Ambien a commonly prescribed sleep medication, during the June 27, 2024, debate.

“I know exactly what happened in that debate,” Hunter Biden said. “He flew around the world basically enough miles to circle the globe three times. He’s 81 years old. He’s exhausted. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage, and he looks like a deer in the headlights, and it feeds into every story that anybody wants to tell.”

Ambien, generically known as zolpidem, is a prescription medication used to treat insomnia. It helps individuals fall asleep faster and remain asleep through the night. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that Ambien can impair alertness and motor coordination even the next morning.

The FDA has noted that, “Patients with high levels of zolpidem can be impaired even if they feel fully awake,” raising concerns about activities such as driving or performing other complex tasks.

Ambien has been linked to a range of side effects, including nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, hallucinations, and behavioral changes resembling alcohol intoxication. In some cases, users have reported bizarre activities while not fully awake—such as sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and even preparing food while asleep.

The medication’s label also warns about potential memory loss, depression, and in rare cases, suicidal thoughts.

In 2014, Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, blamed Ambien for a drugged driving incident, though she was later acquitted.

In 2018, comedian Roseanne Barr attributed a racist tweet that cost her ABC sitcom to “Ambien tweeting.” Sanofi, the drug’s manufacturer, famously responded on X (formerly Twitter):

“While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

Additionally, Ambien was among the substances found in golfer Tiger Woods’ system when police discovered him asleep in his vehicle in 2017.

Joe Biden and his aides previously cited his demanding travel schedule as a factor in his performance but never publicly mentioned Ambien. USA TODAY reached out to a representative for the former president regarding Hunter Biden’s recent remarks, but no response has been provided.

Whether Ambien directly impacted the debate remains unconfirmed. Still, Hunter Biden’s comments add another layer to ongoing discussions about the former president’s health, stamina, and preparation during one of the most pivotal events of the 2024 campaign season.