Hunter Biden blames dad's disastrous Trump debate on Ambien. What is it?
During a more than three-hour interview on the YouTube show Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan that aired on July 21, Hunter Biden said his dad was experiencing effects from the prescription sleep aid while debating now-president Trump.
"I know exactly what happened in that debate," Hunter Biden said in a three hour-plus interview on the YouTube show Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan that aired July 21. "He flew around the world ‒ basically the mileage that he could have flown around the world three times. He's 81 years old. He's tired as s--t. 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, and it feeds into every f---ing story that anybody wants to tell."
Biden isn't the only public figure to blame regrettable behavior on Ambien. Years ago, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's daughter Kerry Kennedy blamed Ambien for a drugged-driving incident, for which she was acquitted in 2014. In 2018, comedian Roseanne Barr said she was "Ambien tweeting" when a racist tweet of hers about Obama White House aide Valerie Jarrett led to the cancelation of her ABC sitcom.
But what exactly is Ambien − and how does it affect the human body? Here's what to know about the prescription sleep aide.
What is Ambien?
Ambien, also known by its generic name, zolpidem, is a prescription medication used to treat insomnia by helping individuals fall asleep quicker and stay asleep.
The Food and Drug Administration has expressed concern over how Ambien can impair activities, such as driving, especially into the morning hours. "Patients with high levels of zolpidem can be impaired even if they feel fully awake," the FDA wrote in a fact sheet about the medication.
A year ago: The Biden-Trump debate rematch that changed the election
Joe Biden, now 82, and his former White House aides have previously blamed the president's busy schedule for his poor debate performance on June 27, 2024, but have not publicly mentioned Ambien. A representative for the former president did not respond to a request from USA TODAY about Hunter Biden's remarks about the sleeping drug.
What are the side effects of Ambien?
Ambien's side effects include nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and diarrhea.
The medication can also cause abnormal thinking and changes in behavior: "Some of these changes may be characterized by decreased inhibition ... similar to effects produced by alcohol," the FDA-approved labeling says.
Confusion and aggressiveness are also listed side effects. "Visual and auditory hallucinations have been reported as well as behavioral changes such as bizarre behavior, agitation and depersonalization," the label adds.
Previously: Hunter Biden says Joe Biden was taking Ambien before disastrous debate against Trump
The label also warns against a possible worsening of depression or suicidal thinking. Impairments to alertness, motor coordination and vision have also been reported.
Complex sleep behaviors, during which a person engaged in activities while not fully away, such as sleepwalking, sleep-driving and sleep-cooking, have also been associated with Ambien, the American Addiction Centers reports.
Additionally, the drug has been linked to amnesia.
What have others said about Ambien?
After Barr's comment about "Ambien tweeting," Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company that makes Ambien, tweeted in response: "While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication." Ambien was also one of the drugs found in Tiger Woods' system after police found him asleep in his car in the middle of a highway.
Other Ambien users have reported a variety of side effects, including sleepwalking, binge eating and even driving at night without realizing or remembering the incidents.
Ambien maker to Roseanne: Racism is not a side effect of our drug
Janet Makinen, one of the lead plaintiffs in a 2006 class-action lawsuit against Ambien maker Sanofi-Aventis' U.S. division, alleged she 'ate hundreds of calories of food, including raw eggs, uncooked yellow rice, cans of vegetables, loaves of bread, bags of chips and bags of candy' while on the medication, according to an amended complaint in the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit also alleged that fellow plaintiff Christina Brothers, a financial analyst, remembers taking Ambien one night in May 2005 and waking up 'on the concrete floor of a jail cell.'
The parties agreed to a stipulated dismissal in 2007 because differences in factual issues and the women's injuries made it impossible for the case to be certified as a class-action lawsuit on behalf of other Ambien users.
Contributing: Joey Garrison and Ashley May
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Chuck Todd blasts podcasters for platforming Hunter Biden, 'spectacle' hurting Democrats
Former NBC News anchor Chuck Todd condemned media outlets for platforming former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, arguing he is a hazard to himself and the Democratic Party. As Democrats struggle to chart a new course after their defeat in the 2024 election, the one thing many can agree on is that the Bidens should step away from public life. Hunter Biden was in the news again after he spoke on Andrew Callaghan's "Channel 5" podcast last weekend and Monday's episode of former DNC chair Jaime Harrison's "At Our Table" podcast, making headlines for wild tirades defending his father and blasting his critics. Todd responded on his own podcast by declaring, "I will never book Hunter Biden," and explained why. "Number one, he's not the candidate. He wasn't on the ballot. Anything he says in defense of his father, I don't know whether it's true or not, but it doesn't matter. He's a son defending his father," he said. Todd reserved his full ire for those who platform Hunter, saying, "I have a real problem with the folks that are booking him. If you've chosen to book Hunter Biden, you've chosen to book spectacle. You're not interested in - and you know, the two interviews that have gone viral were both designed to get attention, not to surface new facts, not to give you a better understanding of what may have happened. It was just, 'Let's give him a platform to settle some scores that maybe he wants to settle.'" He continued, "I don't think this does Hunter Biden any good. I don't think this does Joe Biden any good. It certainly doesn't do the Democratic Party any good. That's why it's surprising to see the former DNC chair start a podcast and decide that the best way to market it is Hunter Biden." "It's a choice who you book," he argued. "I make choices. Everybody makes choices. It's a choice who you book. If you're putting Hunter Biden on, you know what you're doing. Look, I think there's a lot of things going on there." "I don't like it when politicians use the media or campaigns or voters for their own therapy." Todd added he's a big advocate of going to therapy, "but let's not do it in public. Try to deal with your issues amongst yourself." "This is ultimately why I was critical of Joe and Joe Biden for running in the first place, because their family wasn't ready for this," he added. "And I think Hunter Biden's behavior now post-election is more proof the family wasn't in a position… this is why running for president can do major damage to a candidate's family." After surviving the death of his first wife and daughter in 1972, the death of his eldest son Beau in 2015 hit Biden very hard and Todd argued the family didn't take enough time to grieve and recover from it before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign. In the past, the Bidens seemed to be "the poster child" of balancing public service and supporting one's family to Todd. "But that was a family in crisis internally," he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the "Channel 5" podcast, the "At Our Table" podcast, representatives of Joe Biden, and the legal representation of Hunter Biden, and did not receive an immediate reply.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
ICE Agents Need Protection
Terry Takash writes about a march that happened 62 years ago and how protesters weren't ashamed to wear masks ('What Do You Have to Hide Under That Mask?' Letters, July 21). But when it comes to ICE agents today, every phone can take a picture of a face, put it online and find out who the agent is. We need to protect the safety of these officers. If they chose to wear a mask while putting their lives on the line, that's their choice. The only shame here is the failure of Joe Biden during his presidency to protect Americans by having an open border. Kevin F. Swan
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sarepta Therapeutics Provides Clarifying Statement on ELEVIDYS
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), the leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, today issued the following statement: Just before 6:00 p.m. ET today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release announcing an investigation into the death of an eight-year-old Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) patient who had received ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec) gene therapy. The death of this patient was deemed unrelated to treatment with ELEVIDYS. As reported yesterday by Naomi Kresge at Bloomberg News: Roche Holding AG says the recent death of a patient in Brazil who had been treated with gene therapy Elevidys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is unrelated to the treatment. * The boy wasn't a clinical trial participant; reporting physician assessed his death as being unrelated to the gene therapy, Roche says in statement* Death was reported to health authorities* Roche, which markets Sarepta's Duchenne treatment Elevidys outside the US, declines to comment on the boy's age or details of the case Sarepta reported this event to FDA on June 18, 2025, via the FDA's postmarketing electronic database, FAERS. At Sarepta, patient safety and well-being are always our top priority. We are committed to upholding the highest safety standards for all of our therapies, and do so in accordance with applicable law and commitment to full regulatory transparency. ELEVIDYS is the only approved gene therapy for families and children devastated by Duchenne, a rare, progressive and ultimately fatal disease. We remain committed to working closely with the FDA to ensure that all decisions are grounded in science and the best interests of patients, considering the compelling need of these families to access disease-modifying therapy. About ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl)ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) is a single-dose, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene transfer therapy for intravenous infusion designed to address the underlying genetic cause of Duchenne muscular dystrophy – mutations or changes in the DMD gene that result in the lack of dystrophin protein – through the delivery of a transgene that codes for the targeted production of ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin in skeletal muscle. ELEVIDYS is indicated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in individuals at least 4 years of age. For patients who are ambulatory and have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene For patients who are non-ambulatory and have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. The DMD indication in non-ambulatory patients is approved under accelerated approval based on expression of ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin in skeletal muscle. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATION: ELEVIDYS is contraindicated in patients with any deletion in exon 8 and/or exon 9 in the DMD gene. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:Infusion-related Reactions: Infusion-related reactions, including hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis, have occurred during or up to several hours following ELEVIDYS administration. Closely monitor patients during administration and for at least 3 hours after the end of infusion. If symptoms of infusion-related reactions occur, slow, or stop the infusion and give appropriate treatment. Once symptoms resolve, the infusion may be restarted at a lower rate. ELEVIDYS should be administered in a setting where treatment for infusion-related reactions is immediately available. Discontinue infusion for anaphylaxis. Acute Serious Liver Injury: Acute serious liver injury has been observed with ELEVIDYS, and administration may result in elevations of liver enzymes (such as GGT, GLDH, ALT, AST) or total bilirubin, typically seen within 8 weeks. Patients with preexisting liver impairment, chronic hepatic condition, or acute liver disease (e.g., acute hepatic viral infection) may be at higher risk of acute serious liver injury. Postpone ELEVIDYS administration in patients with acute liver disease until resolved or controlled. Prior to ELEVIDYS administration, perform liver enzyme test and monitor liver function (clinical exam, GGT, and total bilirubin) weekly for the first 3 months following ELEVIDYS infusion. Continue monitoring if clinically indicated, until results are unremarkable (normal clinical exam, GGT, and total bilirubin levels return to near baseline levels). Systemic corticosteroid treatment is recommended for patients before and after ELEVIDYS infusion. Adjust corticosteroid regimen when indicated. If acute serious liver injury is suspected, consultation with a specialist is recommended. Immune-mediated Myositis: In clinical trials, immune-mediated myositis has been observed approximately 1 month following ELEVIDYS infusion in patients with deletion mutations involving exon 8 and/or exon 9 in the DMD gene. Symptoms of severe muscle weakness, including dysphagia, dyspnea, and hypophonia, were observed. Limited data are available for ELEVIDYS treatment in patients with mutations in the DMD gene in exons 1 to 17 and/or exons 59 to 71. Patients with deletions in these regions may be at risk for a severe immune-mediated myositis reaction. Advise patients to contact a physician immediately if they experience any unexplained increased muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, including dysphagia, dyspnea, or hypophonia, as these may be symptoms of myositis. Consider additional immunomodulatory treatment (immunosuppressants [e.g., calcineurin-inhibitor] in addition to corticosteroids) based on patient's clinical presentation and medical history if these symptoms occur. Myocarditis: Acute serious myocarditis and troponin-I elevations have been observed following ELEVIDYS infusion in clinical trials. If a patient experiences myocarditis, those with pre-existing left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) impairment may be at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Monitor troponin-I before ELEVIDYS infusion and weekly for the first month following infusion and continue monitoring if clinically indicated. More frequent monitoring may be warranted in the presence of cardiac symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath. Advise patients to contact a physician immediately if they experience cardiac symptoms. Preexisting Immunity against AAVrh74: In AAV-vector based gene therapies, preexisting anti-AAV antibodies may impede transgene expression at desired therapeutic levels. Following treatment with ELEVIDYS, all patients developed anti-AAVrh74 antibodies. Perform baseline testing for presence of anti-AAVrh74 total binding antibodies prior to ELEVIDYS administration. ELEVIDYS administration is not recommended in patients with elevated anti-AAVrh74 total binding antibody titers greater than or equal to 1:400. Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) reported in clinical studies were vomiting, nausea, liver injury, pyrexia, and thrombocytopenia. Report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Sarepta Therapeutics at 1-888-SAREPTA (1-888-727-3782). For further information, please see the full Prescribing Information. About Sarepta TherapeuticsSarepta is on an urgent mission: engineer precision genetic medicine for rare diseases that devastate lives and cut futures short. We hold a leadership position in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) and are building a robust portfolio of programs across muscle, central nervous system, and cardiac diseases. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook. Forward-Looking StatementsThis statement contains "forward-looking statements." Any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "will," "may," "intend," "prepare," "look," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our future operations, research and development programs, clinical trials and ELEVIDYS. Actual results could materially differ from those stated or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties. Known risk factors include the following: our products or product candidates may be perceived as insufficiently effective, unsafe or may result in unforeseen adverse events; our products or product candidates may cause undesirable side effects that result in significant negative consequences following any marketing approval; the possible impact of regulations and regulatory decisions by the FDA and other regulatory agencies on our business; and those risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by the Company, which you are encouraged to review. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect the Company's business, results of operations and the trading price of Sarepta's common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review the SEC filings made by Sarepta. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law. Internet Posting of InformationWe routinely post information that may be important to investors in the 'For Investors' section of our website at We encourage investors and potential investors to consult our website regularly for important information about us. Source: Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. View source version on Contacts Investor Contact: Ian Estepan617-274-4052iestepan@ Media Contacts: Tracy Sorrentino617-301-8566tsorrentino@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
