In a rare moment of unity across America’s fractured political landscape, a wave of bipartisan support poured in on Sunday following the heartbreaking announcement that former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
The statement released by Biden’s personal office confirmed that after experiencing worsening urinary symptoms, doctors identified a prostate nodule that was later found to be cancerous.
The disease, described as having a Gleason score of 9—Grade Group 5—has already metastasized to the bone, marking it as one of the most severe and fast-progressing forms of the illness.
However, there was a sliver of hope in the medical update: the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, offering options for effective long-term management.
As of now, Biden and his family are working with his physicians to evaluate treatment plans. The diagnosis arrives at a time when Biden had just begun to step back into public life after leaving office earlier this year.
He had recently appeared in high-profile interviews with the BBC and “The View,” hoping to reclaim the narrative around his legacy amid widespread speculation and criticism, particularly regarding his health and cognitive clarity during the final stretch of his presidency.
Now, as he faces a deeply personal and difficult health battle, both allies and rivals are putting politics aside—at least momentarily—to offer support.
Among the first to respond was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who served alongside Biden in the Obama administration.
In a short but heartfelt message posted to social media, Clinton paid tribute not just to Biden’s current challenge, but to his long-standing dedication to fighting cancer on behalf of other families.
She pointed to his leadership on the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative—a program he championed following the 2015 death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer.
“I’m thinking of the Bidens as they take on cancer, a disease they’ve done so much to try to spare other families from,” Clinton wrote. “Wishing you a speedy, full recovery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who served under Biden’s administration and shared years of political partnership, also issued a deeply personal note of support.
Posting on X, she wrote that both she and her husband Doug were “saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis.”
Her message continued with a poignant tribute to Biden’s character, stating that “Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership.”
She ended with a hopeful tone, expressing her confidence in his ability to overcome the disease.
Even former President Donald Trump, Biden’s long-standing political rival and successor in the White House, joined the chorus of voices wishing the former president well.
In a surprisingly warm statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
The post, which quickly garnered national attention, marked one of the rare occasions where Trump stepped away from his usual combative tone to deliver a message of solidarity.
Former President Barack Obama also released a statement shortly after the diagnosis was made public. Echoing sentiments of compassion and admiration, Obama praised Biden for his enduring efforts in cancer research, highlighting their shared work on the “Cancer Moonshot” program during their time in the White House.
“Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family,” Obama wrote on X. “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace.”
He concluded with a prayer for Biden’s “fast and full recovery,” reinforcing the personal and professional bond they had forged during eight years of shared governance.
The outpouring of support underscores just how deeply Biden’s personal health journey is entwined with his public legacy. After losing Beau to cancer in 2015, Biden channeled his grief into action, leading the Obama administration’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative.
The effort aimed to fast-track cancer research, enhance prevention and treatment methods, improve collaboration across scientific institutions, and expand access to care for all Americans.
When he assumed the presidency years later, Biden wasted no time in relaunching the initiative with renewed vigor, determined to keep pushing the boundaries of what was possible in cancer research and treatment.
This lifelong crusade has made Sunday’s news especially emotional for those who have watched Biden fight cancer on behalf of others—only now, he must confront the same disease personally.
Biden’s diagnosis comes amid renewed public appearances and ongoing debates over his mental fitness during his final year in office. Several recent books chronicling his presidency have raised questions about his acuity, accounts which Biden and his allies have strongly disputed.
During his recent appearance on “The View,” Biden called the reports “wrong,” and the former First Lady emphasized that those writing the books “were not in the White House with us.”
Yet, with the news of his illness, much of that discourse has been placed on pause, overtaken by a shared sense of concern and empathy from all sides.
Even as the nation waits for further updates on Biden’s treatment options and prognosis, there is a palpable sense of unity surrounding him. Democratic and Republican leaders alike have acknowledged the seriousness of the diagnosis, but also Biden’s resilience and history of overcoming adversity.
Many in his circle point to his past—the loss of his first wife and daughter in a car crash, the death of Beau, his repeated political comebacks—as proof that this is a man who has lived through unimaginable hardship and still found ways to lead, serve, and inspire.
At 82, Biden is no stranger to questions about age and health, but the tone surrounding this latest development has been notably respectful and compassionate.
The public, while aware of the challenges of prostate cancer—especially one with a Gleason score of 9 and metastasis to the bone—has responded with widespread support and hope, bolstered by the medical detail that his cancer is hormone-sensitive, making it more amenable to treatment.
In the days to come, Biden is expected to work closely with his physicians to finalize a treatment plan. It remains unclear how publicly he will document this chapter of his life, but based on his track record, it’s likely that he will continue to advocate for cancer research even while undergoing treatment himself.
His diagnosis, though deeply personal, has already reignited national attention on the very cause he has championed for nearly a decade.
For now, the message is simple but powerful: Biden is not alone. From Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to Kamala Harris and even Donald Trump, political figures across the spectrum are rallying behind a man who once declared that curing cancer was his life’s mission. And now, that mission has turned inward, as he begins the most important battle of all.
