JD Vance demands honesty, transparency about Biden’s health following stage 4 cancer diagnosis

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Two, Vance said after wishing the best for Biden's health, “Look, I will say, whether the right time to have this conversation is now or at some point in the future, we really do need to be honest about whether the former president was capable of doing the job.”

The cancer, according to a statement from Biden’s office, has already spread to his bones. Doctors have classified it as a Stage 4 diagnosis with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), which places it in the highest risk category. Biden’s team said the disease “appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” and added that he and his family are considering treatment options with medical specialists. The 82-year-old’s condition was diagnosed after he reported urinary symptoms. A prostate nodule was found during a subsequent evaluation.

Questons are being asked over how long Biden or his staff have known about the cancer, and whether it was present during his time in the White House. Biden had previously undergone surgery to remove a cancerous lesion from his chest while still serving as president.

“There needs to be more clarity about what the American people were told,” Vance said. “In some ways, I blame him less than I blame the people around him. And why didn't the American people have a better sense of his health picture? Why didn't the American people have more accurate information about what he was actually dealing with?”

“This is serious stuff. This is the guy who carries around the nuclear football for the world's largest nuclear arsenal. This is not child's play, and we can pray for good health, but also recognize that if you're not in good enough health to do the job, you shouldn't be doing the job,” he added.

Concerns over Biden’s health were constant during his presidency, especially after his poor performance in a debate against Donald Trump early in the 2024 campaign. The showing added fuel to the fire, many questions immediately arising about his cognitive condition, leading to Biden dropping out of the race and being replaced by then–Vice President Kamala Harris.

In February 2024, Biden’s physician had declared him “fit to serve” following a physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. But a forthcoming book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson alleges that top aides worked to conceal evidence of Biden’s decline while he was in office.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) echoed those concerns, telling Politico on May 14: “There's no doubt that former President Biden suffered cognitive decline in office. The debate is whether it compromised his ability to act as chief executive... clearly, in retrospect, we should have done something different.”

Biden addressed the diagnosis in a message posted online Monday morning: “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.”