Biden Makes First Public Appearance After Cancer Diagnosis

Biden’s personal job last week announced that the 82-year-old had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to the bone.

Former President Joe Biden on Friday attended his grandson’s high school graduation ceremony in Connecticut, marking his first public appearance since announcing his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Speaking briefly at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, Biden told a small group of travelers that it was “sounding good,” according to local ABC affiliate WTNH. Video footage from the outlet showed him receiving applause scattered as he entered the terminal with security details aides from the US Secret Service and Connecticut State Police.

The previous evening, Biden ate at a restaurant in Lakeville, Connecticut, according to photos posted by the owner on social media.

Biden’s personal job last week announced that the 82-year-old had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to the bone after a doctor’s visit due to an “increased urinary symptoms.” According to a May 20 follow-up statement, Biden had not been diagnosed with prostate cancer previously and had not been tested for more than a decade.

Biden’s latest physical examination as president took place in February 2024. His doctor, Kevin O’Connor, did not identify any signs of cancer in the report.

Biden’s health became a focus during his reelection campaign. He had argued that despite his poor performance in debate against then-candidate Donald Trump, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race, he deserved to run and serves his second term as president.

In response to the news of Biden’s diagnosis, Vice President JD Vance wanted to be a former president, but also questioned whether he was worthy of his presidential duties.

“This is not a child’s play, you can pray for health, but you can also realize that you shouldn’t be working unless you’re not healthy enough to do your job,” he said.

On May 22, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Kommer (R-KY.), wrote to O’Connor and three former White House aides to order them to testify whether they “contributed to the efforts” to hide signs of cognitive decline from the public.

“The cover-up of President Biden’s obvious mental decline is a historic scandal,” Comer said. “The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it went, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf.”

Comer’s letter was published after the release of his new book, Original Sin, co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper, who presided over the June 2024 presidential debate. The two journalists explained in their book how White House staff and Democrat allies expressed concern about Biden’s mental vision in the months following the end of his term, citing cases in which he struggled to recognize his longtime political allies, lost his line of thought in key conversations and forgotten important dates.

“He, his family and his senior aides were sure he was the only one who could beat Trump again, so they lied to themselves, their allies and the public about his condition and restrictions,” the book’s promotional text reads.

Former First Lady Gille Biden in a recent interview with CNN’s “The View,” denied the book claim and highlighted her husband’s busy daily schedule while in the White House.

“The people who wrote these books weren’t in the White House with us, so we didn’t know how hard Joe worked every day,” she said. “He got up, he put in the whole day, then the night was in bed reading my books – and he was still on the phone, reading his briefings, working with the staff. It was non-stop.”