Former President Joe Biden has stated that he did not know he was suffering from cancer while serving in the White House. He indicated that if he had known about his condition, he would not have pursued a second term in the 2024 election. The former Democrat made these remarks during an interview with People magazine, which was conducted ahead of the release of his White House memoir this Tuesday.
Biden, who is set to turn 84 on November 20, explained that his physical state would have influenced his decision to run. He noted that he was unaware his poor health was caused by cancer at the time. His 2024 reelection bid ultimately ended following a widely criticized debate performance against Republican Donald Trump.
The former president was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer several months after he left office in 2025. Reflecting on his age and health status during the campaign, Biden said he did not believe an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for president. However, he maintained that the June 2024 debate was not a catastrophic event, even though it intensified Democratic concerns regarding his age and his ability to defeat Trump.
Biden, who was 81 at the time of the debate, argued that the single event did not significantly disturb him because it was not consequential. He mentioned that he had expected there to be another debate, which did not occur. Within weeks of that June appearance, he announced he was ending his campaign and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris. Harris subsequently secured the Democratic nomination but lost to Trump in the general election.
The former president insisted that he was fully capable of performing his duties while in office. He argued that age alone is not a disqualifying factor and that it provided him with experience and deep personal relationships with world leaders. Biden stated that on an objective basis, he believed he was the best-equipped person to handle the job.
Since leaving office, Biden’s son Hunter has become a more prominent public figure. Hunter has engaged with Republicans on social media, shared lengthy thoughts on the nation's direction, and launched his own cryptocurrency. In an interview with the BBC in August, Hunter revealed that the cancer had spread and was causing his father significant pain and debilitation.
Joe Biden has defended his son’s public persona and his decision to pardon Hunter. The pardon followed Hunter’s 2024 conviction on federal felony gun charges and his guilty plea to federal tax charges. Hunter had faced years of scrutiny and intense Republican attacks over his international business dealings. Although Hunter said the pardon damaged his father’s legacy, Joe Biden argued that it was necessary due to Trump’s tendency for vengeance.
Biden explained that he knew Trump would go after people viewed as enemies without any basis. He stated that if he had not pardoned family members and others who had dealt with him, Trump would have tried to do them harm. The former president called his son one of the brightest men he knows and expressed his pride in him.
