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Joe Biden says he would not have sought a second term in 2024 had he known he had cancer while in office
In a People magazine interview tied to his White House memoir, former President Joe Biden said he did not know he had cancer as president and would not have run again if he had been diagnosed.
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What Biden said about his health and the 2024 race
Former President Joe Biden says he did not know he had cancer while he was in the White House. He also says he would not have pursued a second term if he had already been diagnosed, according to The Associated Press, whose report was carried by ABC News and PBS NewsHour.
The AP reported that Biden made the comments in an interview with People magazine ahead of the Tuesday release of his White House memoir. Biden turns 84 on Nov. 20.
His own words on running
“If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer,” Biden said, “I would’ve not gone forward” with the 2024 reelection bid. He added, “I don’t think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running” for president. According to the AP, Biden was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer months after leaving office in 2025.
Looking back at the June 2024 debate
The AP described Biden's reelection effort as ending after a disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump in June 2024, less than five months before Election Day. Biden was 81 at the time. The debate sped up Democrats' worries about his age and his ability to defeat Trump, the AP reported.
In the interview, Biden argued the debate was not a seismic event. He said he had expected a second debate, which never happened, and that the first one “didn’t disturb me because it wasn’t consequential.”
How the campaign ended
Within weeks of the debate, Biden ended his campaign and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, the AP reported. Harris secured the nomination and lost to Trump in the general election. More coverage of national politics is available in our national news section.
Biden told People he was able to carry out his duties while in office. He said his age was not disqualifying and instead gave him experience and deep personal relationships with world leaders. “I believe that on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job,” he said.
His condition since leaving office
Biden's son Hunter told the BBC in August that the cancer had spread and was causing his father pain, according to the AP. “It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects,” Hunter Biden said.
Defending Hunter Biden and the pardon
Why he says the pardon was necessary
The former president also defended his decision to pardon his son. The AP reported that Hunter Biden was convicted in 2024 on federal felony gun charges and pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. He had also faced years of scrutiny and Republican attacks over his international business dealings.
Hunter Biden has said the pardon damaged his father's legacy, according to the AP. Joe Biden said Trump's penchant for vengeance made the pardon necessary. “He goes after people without any basis, whether they’re viewed as an enemy. I knew what he would do,” Biden said.
Hunter Biden's public profile
Since his father left office, Hunter Biden has become a more visible public figure, the AP reported. He has sparred with Republicans on social media, posted lengthy thoughts on the country's direction and launched his own cryptocurrency. Joe Biden defended his son's public persona, calling him “one of the brightest men I know” and saying he is proud of him.
What to watch next
- Biden's White House memoir, which followed the People interview, was released Tuesday, according to the AP.
- Biden turns 84 on Nov. 20.
