An old video in which former US President Joe Biden said he had cancer has resurfaced online following his recent prostate cancer diagnosis.
The clip, dated July 20, 2022, shows Joe Biden at a presidential press conference in Somerset, Massachusetts. Addressing environmental concerns, particularly the impact of oil pollution in his home state of Delaware, Biden said, "That's why I, and so damn many other people I grew up with, have cancer."
At the time, the White House quickly shrugged it off, calling it a gaffe. Officials clarified that Biden was referring to past instances of non-melanoma skin cancers he had removed before taking office, not an active cancer diagnosis.
Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich , saying Biden had "mistakenly stated (present tense) that he has cancer," and was referring to past treatment.
Now, with Biden's team confirming that he has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer, the video has gone viral again on social media.
According to a statement from his office, the 82-year-old was diagnosed after reporting urinary symptoms. Tests revealed a prostate nodule and a Gleason score of 9, indicating a high-grade, fast-growing cancer. Though serious, doctors say the cancer is hormone-sensitive and can still be managed with proper treatment.
Donald Trump Jr, the son of US President Donald Trump, suggested the diagnosis might have been concealed. "What I want to know is how Dr Jill Biden missed stage five metastatic cancer, or is this yet another cover-up?" he wrote on X.
An upcoming book titled Original Sin also alleges that Biden's aides, including former First Lady Jill Biden, were aware of his physical decline and may have deliberately withheld this information from the public during his 2024 presidential campaign.
Last summer, despite a White House physician declaring Biden "completely fit for the Presidency", questions about his cognitive and physical fitness had continued to swirl throughout his campaign. He eventually withdrew from the Presidential race in July 2024, endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Joe Biden has long had a connection to the fight against cancer. His son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015. As US Vice President, Biden spearheaded the Obama-era "Cancer Moonshot" initiative, calling it one of the most important missions of his public life.
