Biden Makes First Public Appearance After Cancer Diagnosis

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

President Joe Biden speaks in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

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

Speaking briefly at Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport, Biden told a small group of travelers that he was “feeling great,” according to local ABC affiliate WTNH. Video footage from the outlet showed him receiving scattered applause as he entered the terminal with an entourage of security detail from the U.S. Secret Service and Connecticut State Police.

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

Biden’s personal office announced last week that the 82-year-old had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones following a doctor’s visit because of “increasing urinary symptoms.” A follow-up statement on May 20 said that Biden had not been previously diagnosed with prostate cancer and had not been tested for it in more than a decade.

Biden’s most recent physical exam as president took place in February 2024. His physician, Kevin O'Connor, did not identify any signs of cancer in that report, describing Biden as a “healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”

Biden’s health became a focus during his re-election campaign. He had maintained he was fit to run for and serve a second term as president, despite a poor debate performance against then-Republican candidate Donald Trump that ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race.

Reacting to the news of Biden’s diagnosis, Vice President JD Vance wished the former president well but also questioned whether he had been fit for presidential duty.

“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 said.

On May 22, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) sent letters to O'Connor and three former White House aides, ordering them to testify on whether they had “contributed to an effort” to hide signs of Biden’s 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 progressed, and who was making critical decisions on his behalf.”

Comer’s letters were issued after the release of a new book, “Original Sin,” co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper—who moderated the June 2024 presidential debate—and Axios’s Alex Thompson. The two journalists described in their book how White House staffers and Democratic allies expressed concerns about Biden’s mental acuity in the closing months of his term, citing instances in which he struggled to recognize longtime political allies, lost his train of thought in important conversations, and forgot important dates.

“He, his family, and his senior aides were so convinced that only he could beat Trump again, they lied to themselves, allies, and the public about his condition and limitations,” the book’s promotional text reads.

Former first lady Jill Biden dismissed the allegations in the book in a recent interview on CNN’s “The View,” emphasizing her husband’s busy daily schedule while in the White House.

“The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us, and they didn’t see how hard Joe worked every single day,” she said. “He‘d get up, he’d put in a full day, and then at night—I'd be in bed reading my book—and he was still on the phone, reading his briefings, working with staff. It was nonstop.”