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President Donald Trump on Monday used former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis to question his ability to lead the country, departing from his compassionate sentiments a day earlier.
In a rambling response to a reporter’s question at a law enforcement event at the White House, Trump suggested that Biden hid his cancer diagnosis while he was in office, playing into unverified conspiracies that have come out since Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he has an aggressive form of the disease for which there’s no cure.
“I think it’s very sad,” Trump said. “Actually, I’m surprised that, you know, the public wasn’t notified a long time ago because to get to stage 9, that’s a long time. I just had my physical.”
(Biden has stage 4 cancer with a Gleason score of 9, to be clear.)
Trump then went on to say that he recently “aced” a complete physical, which included cognitive tests, and questioned why Biden’s physical last year didn’t include cognitive tests.
“I think the doctor said he’s just fine, and it’s turned out that’s not so — it’s very dangerous. Look, this is no longer politically correct. This is dangerous for our country,” said Trump, who is just three years younger than Biden. He added that he thinks it should be required for presidents to take cognitive tests.
Trump also argued that “somebody is not telling the facts” about Biden’s diagnosis. “That’s a big, that’s a big problem,” he added.
Despite Trump’s remarks, which have also been pushed by his supporters, it’s not uncommon for older men to suddenly be diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen screenings, known as PSA screenings, are recommended for men aged 55 to 69 and not typically advised for men above 70. (Biden is 82.)
And, for the most part, people with the early stages of prostate cancer don’t experience symptoms, HuffPost previously reported. That means there’s a chance that Biden had the disease while in office but was unaware.
Trump on Sunday had a much more sympathetic tone after Biden’s announcement.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Trump has frequently criticized Biden’s fitness for office, especially during the 2024 election season prior to Biden dropping out of the race. Reportshave claimed the White House hid the extent of Biden’s issues while he was in office.
Biden’s office said on Sunday that Biden received his prostate cancer diagnosis on Friday and that the cancer had spread to his bones.
Biden’s office also said he was experiencing urinary symptoms.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” Biden’s office said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
It’s also worth noting that during a routine physical exam last week, Biden’s doctors also discovered a “small nodule” on his prostate.
On Monday, Biden shared a selfie of himself and former first lady Jill Biden online.
“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,” he wrote as a caption to the picture.
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