Washington – It seems Hunter Biden had quite the take on his father’s debate performance.
In a recent interview, Hunter claimed that Joe Biden’s underwhelming performance during last year’s debate against Donald Trump was influenced by Ambien. “I know exactly what happened in that discussion,” the 55-year-old Hunter shared with YouTube host Andrew Callahan, marking the occasion of Joe Biden’s reelection campaign kickoff.
He explained, “He’s been traveling all over. At 81 years old, he’s tired. They give him something to help him sleep, and then he walks on stage looking like a deer caught in the headlights.” However, it’s unclear if the 46th president actually took the sleep medication during the debate, which can heighten drowsiness side effects for older adults.
Hunter didn’t specify how long his father had been preparing for the debate, which itself is a bit surprising. Joe Biden showed up hours late that night, taking about four hours at a nearby hotel before the CNN debate began.
This debate moment has seemingly jeopardized Biden’s reelection efforts, with many criticizing his remarks during it. In a notably awkward statement, he mentioned he “ends over Medicare in the end,” which many found puzzling.
As dissent within the Democratic party grew stronger, Hunter revealed he felt pressure for Joe to step back in favor of then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate. “They said, ‘If you don’t step aside, we’re going to blow up the party’,” he recounted.
Though Ambien is commonly prescribed, it wasn’t listed in Biden’s official medical report last year, which was meant to assure the public of his health. A memo from Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, disclosed some medications but surprisingly left out this popular sleep aid.
After the debate, Dr. O’Connor praised Biden’s mental and physical health as “excellent,” but there were calls for further assessments following questions raised by a House committee about Biden’s fitness.
Earlier in June, Biden had traveled to Italy for a G7 summit, just days after participating in D-Day anniversary events in France. Remarkably, he collapsed at Camp David a week later while preparing for the June 27 debate.
Despite claiming little opposition emerged from within the party, Hunter did acknowledge the pressures that led to Biden’s withdrawal from the Democratic nomination, stating, “No one came out against him.” He also emphasized the progressive wing’s belief that Biden had accomplished significant things during his tenure.
After the debate, Hunter noted how challenging it was for his father to demonstrate he upheld party standards. “He faced an uphill battle,” he said, reflecting on Biden’s post-debate interactions.
Just days after the debate, however, news broke that Biden tested positive for Covid-19, which derailed his campaign efforts. “When he woke up, it was pretty serious,” Hunter recalled. “Seeing him leave was just disheartening, and then the media frenzy kicked in.”
In a somewhat reflective sentiment, he remarked, “I think Joe did the most selfless thing a politician could do in this country.” As for any comments from former President Biden’s team, there has been no response yet.
