Hunter Biden finally reveals why Joe Biden performed poorly in 2024 presidential debate against Trump, ‘They give him…’

"I know exactly what happened in that debate," Hunter Biden said, referring to Joe Biden’s performance in the 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump.

Published on: Jul 22, 2025, 15:55:13 IST

By Sumanti Sen

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Hunter Biden has revealed why his father, former President Joe Biden, performed poorly in the United States presidential debate against Donald Trump in 2024. Hunter made the revelation in his first interview since the 2024 election.

Hunter Biden finally reveals why Joe Biden performed poorly in 2024 presidential debate against Trump (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (AFP)

During a lengthy interview with Andrew Callaghan, Hunter revealed that his father’s unimpressive debate performance happened because he took Ambien due to his travel. Less than a month after the debate, Biden quit the race and endorsed Kamala Harris.

"I know exactly what happened in that debate," Hunter said. "He [Joe Biden] 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 sh**.”

"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 medication often used for short-term treatment of sleeping problems.

‘We watched him get old in front of our eyes’

To prepare for the debate, Biden spent several days at Camp David with his aides. He took two European trips before that, and was also on the US West Coast for a fundraiser. Following widespread criticism for his debate performance, the former president said jet lag was to blame.

Biden even tried to dismiss concerns over his disastrous performance by appearing in a new campaign ad and acknowledging that he is “not a young man.” “I know right from wrong. I know how to tell the truth,” Biden added in the video. “And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.”

Following the debate, The New York Times reported that according to a source, Hunter was one of the strongest voices imploring his father to stay in the race. At several points throughout the recent interview, Hunter criticized the Democratic Party for how it treated his father. "We watched Joe Biden turn 80 and 81 and then 82," Hunter said.

"We watched him get old in front of our eyes. That does not mean that you're incapacitated,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.