Biden Says Cancer Diagnosis Would Have Changed His Political Plans
WHO:
CNN - Joe Biden, identified in the article as the 46th president, discussed his cancer diagnosis, political plans, debate performance, and health disclosures.
CNN - Biden said he believed he was “the best-equipped person to do the job.”
CNN - Donald Trump debated Biden and later debated Kamala Harris; Jill Biden, then first lady, thought Biden might be having a stroke during his debate performance.
NY Post - Joe Biden was identified as the 46th president.
Fox News - Biden addressed critics who accused him of hiding his stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis.
WHAT:
NY Post - Hunter Biden received a gold medal from Ireland’s top university.
CNN - Biden said he would not have pursued another presidential campaign had he known his feeling “lousy” was caused by cancer. He said, “I would’ve not gone forward,” and added, “I don’t think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for (president).”
CNN - Biden described his 2024 debate performance with Trump as “not very consequential.” He said he expected another debate and that the absence of one did not disturb him.
CNN - Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris 107 days before the election.
CNN - Biden said he disclosed his diagnosis “when we found out” and denied concealing information about his health while president: “I didn’t do that.”
NY Post - Biden announced that he had stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Fox News - Biden responded in his upcoming memoir to criticism that he had hidden his cancer diagnosis.
CNN - Biden’s presidential memoir is titled *Promise Me, America*; he said cancer would limit his ability to promote it.
WHERE:
NY Post - Joe Biden watched Hunter Biden receive the medal in Ireland.
CNN - The interview was with PEOPLE.
WHEN:
CNN - The July 2024 debate was between Biden and Trump; a planned second debate took place in September between Harris and Trump.
CNN - Biden was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer four months after leaving office.
NY Post - Biden announced his stage 4 diagnosis in May 2025.
WHY:
CNN - Biden said his cancer, had he known about it, would have changed his decision to continue pursuing the presidency.
HOW:
CNN - Biden discussed the diagnosis and his political plans in a PEOPLE interview ahead of the memoir’s release.
(UPDATED November 11, 2026 17:06 UTC)
Joe Biden says he would have abandoned his presidential campaign had he known he had cancer. He disclosed his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis and denied hiding health information while president. Biden also called his debate performance with Trump not very consequential and discussed his memoir.
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(UPDATED November 11, 2026 16:06 UTC)
Joe Biden says he would have abandoned his presidential campaign if he’d known cancer caused his illness. Diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, Biden denies concealing his health condition while president. In a PEOPLE interview, he called his debate performance with Trump “not very consequential.”