Ambien under scrutiny amid claims Joe Biden had been taking sleep drug
Doctors share insights on effects after Hunter Biden blamed father's 'disastrous' debate on medication
By Melissa Rudy Fox News
Published July 23, 2025 5:00am EDT
Doctors are chiming in after Hunter Biden claimed that sleeping pills could have contributed to his father’s apparent cognitive struggles during the 2024 presidential debates.
Former President Joe Biden’s son made the statements during an interview with YouTube host Andrew Callaghan that was released on Monday.
When discussing his father’s performance in the first presidential debate on June 27, 2024 — which was widely described as "disastrous" and ultimately led to Joe Biden dropping out of the race — Hunter Biden pointed to his father’s alleged use of the sleep aid Ambien.
"I'll tell you what, I know exactly what happened in that debate. He flew around the world, basically, and the mileage that he could have flown around the world three times," Hunter Biden said during an appearance on "Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan."
"He's 81 years old. He's tired as s---. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights. And it feeds into f------ story that anybody wants to tell."
Ambien (generic name zolpidem) is a prescription medication for insomnia. It is intended only for short-term use, according to GoodRx.
Some of the most common side effects of Ambien include dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle and joint pain, and double or blurry vision, the above source stated.
The medication can also cause memory problems and grogginess during the day.
More serious and rare side effects can include hallucinations, "abnormal thinking and behavior" and "possible increased risk of dementia in older adults," according to GoodRx.
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