On May 19, JD Vance sparked outrage following his contentious remarks about Joe Biden’s recent prostate can.cer diagnosis.
Biden’s team announced the serious health update the night before, issuing an emotional statement that revealed the 82-year-old former president has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate can.cer.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was evaluated after experiencing worsening urinary symptoms, which led to the discovery of a prostate nodule,” the statement read.
“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate can.cer, marked by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and evidence of bone metastasis.”
The statement also noted: “Despite its severity, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which means it can be effectively treated. The president and his family are currently considering treatment options in consultation with his doctors.”
Shortly after the announcement made headlines worldwide, current President Donald Trump shared a message via his social platform, Truth Social.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent diagnosis,” the 78-year-old Republican leader wrote. “We send our heartfelt wishes to Jill and the Biden family and hope Joe has a swift and successful recovery.”
Vice President JD Vance, returning from the Vatican after attending Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, was questioned by C-SPAN reporters about the news.
“Well, first of all, we obviously hope for the best regarding the former president’s health,” the 40-year-old Republican began. “It does sound quite serious, but hopefully he recovers fully.”
However, Vance then shifted the focus to Biden’s past capacity as president: “At some point—whether now or later—we need to seriously discuss whether the former president was fit to serve. You can wish someone well and still acknowledge that, in my opinion, Biden wasn’t physically capable of doing the job effectively.”
He elaborated, “That’s not a political jab, and it’s not because I disagreed with his policies. I just don’t think his health was up to the task. In many ways, I hold those around him more accountable than him personally.”
Vance went on to criticize the lack of transparency
“Why weren’t the American people given a clearer picture of his health? Why didn’t we know more about what he was facing? This is a serious matter—we’re talking about the person responsible for the nuclear codes.”
He concluded: “We can pray for someone’s health, but if they’re not physically fit to handle such a critical role, they shouldn’t be in it.”
Vance’s comments were met with fierce backlash, with many accusing him of exploiting a serious diagnosis for political gain.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Absolutely vile behavior from JD Vance—turning Biden’s cancer into a political talking point.”
Another added, “You all should be ashamed of your cruel remarks.”
A third wrote, “‘I wish Biden well’ would’ve been enough.”
Someone else remarked, “This man is somehow worse than Trump no small feat.”
Another concluded, “This is revolting, even for him.”
