WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Monday raised questions about the timing of President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, expressing surprise that the public had not been informed sooner.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump reacted to reports that Biden, 82, had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, marked by a Gleason score of 9—an indicator of a high-grade, fast-growing tumor.
“I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago,” Trump said. “It takes a long time to get to that situation, to get to a stage nine,” he added, seemingly referencing the Gleason scale, which ranks prostate cancer aggressiveness from 6 to 10.
Trump further suggested that the physician who diagnosed Biden had previously vouched for his cognitive health, implying a lack of transparency. “If you take a look, it’s the same doctor that said Joe was cognitively fine. Things are going on that the public wasn’t informed of,” he said.
The former president also noted that his own recent physical exam included a PSA test—a common screening for prostate cancer—calling it “standard for pretty much anybody.”
President Biden acknowledged his diagnosis in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a photo with First Lady Jill Biden. “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,” he wrote.
Biden’s health has been a persistent topic of public concern throughout his presidency. Following a poor performance in a televised debate in June, he withdrew from the 2024 presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris subsequently secured the Democratic nomination but lost the general election to Trump, who returned to the White House after a four-year absence.
Prostate cancer is commonly evaluated using the Gleason scoring system, with scores of 8 to 10 indicating a highly aggressive form of the disease. When it metastasizes, the cancer often spreads to bones, complicating treatment efforts due to limited drug efficacy in those areas.
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