Joe Biden’s cancer announcement rekindles questions in the White House about the extent of his health problems
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said that former U.S. President Joe Biden should have been more open with the public after Biden’s cancer revelation on Monday sparked new inquiries about the severity of his health problems during his time in office.
“I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago, because to get to stage 9, that’s a long time,” Trump said as he misrepresented Biden’s prognosis to reporters on Monday. In a social media tweet on Sunday, Trump also expressed condolences.
According to Biden’s office, he received a diagnosis of “aggressive” prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones on Friday. Stage 4 cancers are the most advanced because they have metastasized.
With the release of a book detailing widespread fears about Biden’s mental acuity among aides and Democratic insiders as he sought reelection in 2024, Trump and other Republicans’ comments encapsulated the heightened spotlight on the 82-year-old Democratic former president’s health.
The book’s excerpts have raised further concerns about whether important details about Biden’s suitability for the White House were concealed from the American people. Closest advisers to Biden have downplayed the worries, claiming that Biden was more than capable of making crucial choices.
“Why didn’t the American people have a better sense of his health picture?” As he concluded a trip to Rome, Vice President JD Vance told reporters. “What was he really dealing with, and why didn’t the American people receive more accurate information? This is serious business.
A request for comment from a Biden representative was not answered. During his 2021–2025 tenure, Biden has made media appearances to deny claims that his mental faculties have deteriorated. He said, “There’s nothing to sustain that” on May 8 on ABC’s “The View.”
Last July, Biden—the oldest president in history—had to abandon his reelection campaign after his dismal debate performance against Trump damaged his standing with other Democrats. In the November 2024 election, Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, made her own run but was defeated by Trump.
The majority of prostate malignancies are found early.
“I would assume the former president gets a very thorough physical every year,” said Dr. Chris George, Northwestern Health Network’s medical director for the cancer program. “It’s sort of hard for me to believe that he’s had a (blood test) within the past year that was normal.”
Given the screening techniques available, “it is a bit unusual in the modern era to detect cancers at this late stage,” according to Dr. Herbert Lepor, a urologist at NYU Langone Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 70% of instances of prostate cancer were identified before they progressed to other organs.
It’s unclear whether the yearly presidential physical would have included blood tests, which are not advised for males over 70 according to U.S. standards.
Journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s recent book, “Original Sin,” highlighted Biden’s mental clarity during his last few months in office.
On Sunday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a prospective Democratic presidential contender in 2028, said on NBC that “Democrats made a mistake by not listening to the voters earlier.”
Despite the fact that, according to Reuters/Ipsos polls in January 2024, 74% of Americans believed that Biden was too old for the position, he had no significant competition for the 2024 Democratic nomination, and party officials consistently endorsed his eligibility for a second four-year term.
Both Biden’s friends and opponents expressed their sympathies after learning of his cancer diagnosis. In an early Monday social media message, Biden thanked the public for their support on behalf of both himself and his wife.
“Everyone is impacted by cancer. Jill and I have discovered, like so many of you, that we are most resilient in the midst of chaos. We are grateful for your love and support,” he stated.
