Former President Donald Trump has publicly addressed the recent announcement that his predecessor, Joe Biden, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. While expressing sympathy, Trump also raised concerns about the timing of the disclosure and the transparency of Biden’s health information.
“I think it’s very sad, actually,” Trump said during a press briefing on May 19. He then questioned why the public wasn’t informed earlier, stating, “I’m surprised that it wasn’t, you know—the public wasn’t notified a long time ago.” Trump mistakenly referred to Biden’s condition as “stage nine” cancer, likely confusing the Gleason score of 9, which indicates a highly aggressive prostate cancer, with cancer staging, which only goes up to stage 4 .
Biden, 82, was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. His office announced the diagnosis on May 18, following a routine physical prompted by urinary symptoms. The cancer is described as hormone-sensitive, allowing for effective management .
Trump also cast doubt on the medical professionals responsible for Biden’s health assessments, suggesting that “somebody is not telling the facts.” He implied that there may have been a cover-up regarding Biden’s health during his presidency, questioning the accuracy of previous evaluations of Biden’s cognitive state .
In contrast, Donald Trump Jr. took a more critical stance, mocking First Lady Jill Biden for not detecting her husband’s condition sooner. He questioned whether there was a cover-up, despite Jill Biden holding a doctorate in education, not medicine .
Medical experts have clarified that prostate cancer can be challenging to detect in its early stages, especially in older men. Biden’s last known prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was in 2014. Current guidelines generally advise against routine PSA screening for men over 70 due to potential risks of overdiagnosis and overtreatment .
The situation has reignited debates over presidential health transparency, with some Republican figures calling for investigations into whether Biden’s health information was withheld from the public .
As Biden and his family consider treatment options, the public discourse continues to focus on the importance of transparency and the protocols surrounding the health disclosures of public officials.