Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis has reignited questions about transparency over his health during his time in office as Vice President JD Vance calls for greater openness about the former President's medical condition.
The 82-year-old's health has come under renewed scrutiny following revelations in a new book detailing concerns about his mental acuity among aides and Democratic insiders.
Vance told reporters: "Why didn't the American people have a better sense of his health picture?
"Why didn't the American people have more accurate information about what he was actually dealing with? This is serious stuff."
Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis has reignited questions about transparency over his health during his time in office as Vice President JD Vance calls for greater openness about the former President's medical condition
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The Vice President also wished Biden "the right recovery".
Biden's office announced on Friday that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, a revelation that has prompted medical experts to question how such a condition could have advanced undetected.
"I would assume the former president gets a very thorough physical every year," said Dr. Chris George, medical director of the cancer program at Northwestern Health Network. "It's sort of hard for me to believe that he's had a (blood test) within the past year that was normal."
Dr Herbert Lepor, a urologist at NYU Langone Health, noted that, "it is a bit unusual in the modern era to detect cancers at this late stage," given available screening options.
The timing of Biden's cancer diagnosis coincides with the publication of "Original Sin" by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which has intensified questions about whether critical health information was withheld from the American public during his presidency.
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The book details widespread concerns about Biden's cognitive abilities as he pursued re-election in 2024, though his closest aides have dismissed these concerns, insisting he was fully capable of making important decisions.
Biden himself recently appeared on ABC's The View to counter such claims, stating on May 8: "There's nothing to sustain that," when questioned about diminished mental capacity during his 2021-2025 term.
Biden, the oldest person ever to serve as president, was forced to abandon his re-election campaign in July last year following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump that eroded support within his own party.
The handling of Biden's health and age has prompted criticism from within Democratic ranks.
The 82-year-old's health has come under renewed scrutiny following revelations in a new book detailing concerns about his mental acuity among aides and Democratic insiders
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US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, remarked on NBC: "It was a mistake for Democrats to not listen to the voters earlier."
This comes despite party leaders repeatedly vouching for Biden's ability to serve a second term, even as 74 per cent of Americans believed he was too old for the job.
Biden's cancer diagnosis has drawn widespread sympathy from across the political spectrum, including from his former rival Donald Trump.
Biden wrote on social media: "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."
