Trump questions Biden cancer disclosure

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday questioned the timing of the public disclosure of Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, suggesting the information may have been withheld from the public.

Trump’s remarks came a day after it was revealed that Biden, 82, has an aggressive form of prostate cancer, with a Gleason score of 9, according to a statement from the former president’s office.

"I'm surprised that the public wasn't notified a long time ago," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked for his reaction to Biden's cancer. "It takes a long time to get to that situation, to get to a stage nine," he added, apparently referring to Biden’s Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5).

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer that looks “very abnormal” is rated as Grade Group 5. The Gleason Score, which measures the aggressiveness of the disease, goes up to 10. Medical experts told AFP that limitations in screening can lead to late detection, even for patients with access to top medical care.

Trump also linked the cancer announcement to broader claims about Biden’s health while in office, referencing controversy from a newly released book.

"If you take a look it's the same doctor that said Joe was cognitively fine," Trump said. "There are things going on that the public wasn't informed of."

Trump, who had earlier issued a statement saying he was "saddened" by Biden’s diagnosis, pivoted to highlighting claims that the Biden administration may have hidden medical information. His son, Donald Trump Jr., was among those pushing that narrative.

Don Jr. questioned on Sunday whether the cancer should have been detected earlier—and then on Monday boosted unfounded claims Biden had covered up a previous diagnosis. He posted a clip of Biden—whose son Beau died of brain cancer—saying in an apparent gaffe in 2022 that "I, and so damn many other people I grew up with, have cancer."

Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, saying, "we really do need to be honest" about Biden's fitness. "You can separate the desire for him to have the right health outcome with a recognition that -- whether it was doctors or whether there were staffers around the former president -- I don't think he was able to do a good job for the American people," Vance said after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

The White House has not responded directly to Trump’s latest comments but has denied any effort to cover up concerns about Biden’s health.

The diagnosis came just as media attention mounted over Original Sin, a new book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which alleges efforts by Biden’s aides to downplay signs of cognitive decline. Biden’s granddaughter Naomi criticized the book, calling it "a bunch of unoriginal, uninspired lies written by irresponsible self promoting journalists out to make a quick buck."

Biden responded publicly to his diagnosis on Monday, thanking the public for their messages of support. "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places," Biden said on social media. "Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."

Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, who is also being treated for cancer, wrote to Biden over the weekend to express his well wishes.

Biden, the oldest person to hold the U.S. presidency, ended his bid for a second term earlier this year following a widely criticized debate performance against Trump.