Democratic senators collectively boycotted a Senate hearing held on June 18, 2025, which aimed to investigate allegations of a cover-up regarding President Joe Biden's cognitive decline. The absence of Democrats at the hearing has been interpreted by critics as an indication of complicity in concealing the president's mental health issues. The hearing focused on claims that Biden's cognitive state was deliberately obscured during his administration. This event follows the one-year anniversary of Biden's widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024, which many viewed as exposing his declining mental faculties. Hunter Biden, the former president's son, has attributed Joe Biden's poor debate showing to the effects of Ambien, a sleeping pill he reportedly took due to exhaustion from his travel schedule. Hunter Biden stated that his father, then 81 years old, was given Ambien to sleep but appeared disoriented during the debate. These developments have fueled ongoing discussions about Biden's cognitive health and its impact on his political career.