Biden: "If I Had Known I Had Cancer... I Would Have Given Up My Reelection Bid"
"An 80-year-old with cancer shouldn't run for president"
"I believe I was objectively the best suited for the job at the time"}
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, who is battling prostate cancer, pushed back against allegations that he ran for reelection in 2024 despite knowing he had cancer, saying he "would have resigned immediately."
In an interview with the U.S. entertainment magazine People on November 11, Biden said, "If I had known that my body was in bad shape because of cancer, I would have done so right away. I don't think an 80-year-old with cancer should run for president." He added, "That wasn't the reality. I believe that, objectively speaking, I was the person best suited for the job."
In May 2025, four months after leaving office, he disclosed that he was battling prostate cancer. The cancer was reportedly so advanced that it had spread to his bones, prompting allegations that he had concealed his diagnosis while in office. Biden dismissed the accusations, saying, "Elected officials often hide bad news, but I don't do that." Asked whether the cancer might have interfered with his ability to serve as president, he replied, "I didn't feel that way. I don't think it interfered with my work in any way."
During a televised debate on June 28, 2024, with then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, Biden appeared fatigued, stumbling over his words and making remarks that lacked context. Calls within the Democratic Party for him to withdraw as a candidate grew afterward, and Biden abandoned his reelection bid on July 24 that year.
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Reflecting on the debate, he said, "Nobody has ever made it through a debate without making a mistake. It wasn't a big issue for me," adding regretfully, "I thought there would be another debate, but in the end, there wasn't." He criticized President Trump's demolition of the White House East Wing and plans to build a ballroom, saying, "It's offensive. He's trying to erect a monument to himself."
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