Participating in a Memorial Day commemoration, Joe Biden made his first public address since the announcement of his Stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis at a Biden family event in his home state of Delaware on Friday.
“My friends, Memorial Day is about something profound,” a somewhat fired-up Biden declared. “Our politics have become so divided and bitter. All the years I have been doing this, I never thought we would get to this point, but we are.”
He added: “Our troops do not wear a uniform that says I‘m a Democrat or a Republican. It says, I am an American!”
While the 82-year-old former commander-in-chief did cough a couple of times during the short speech, it appeared he was just trying to clear his throat as he attempted to deliver an energized address to the audience, which was filled with his family, friends and state officials. He also used the speech to acknowledge his deceased son Beau, who died 10 years ago to the day from brain cancer and served in the Iraq War.
Biden has said he believes Beau got the cancer from exposure to toxic burn pits in Iraq.
“I know for many of you, Memorial Day is deeply personal. For the Bidens, this day is the 10th anniversary of the loss of my son Beau, who served in Iraq,” he said. “It is a hard day.”
Much of the speech, of course, centered on honoring veterans and those who have given their lives fighting for the country.
“Because of them, American democracy has endured for nearly 250 years. Every generation, every generation has to fight to maintain that democracy every time, every generation,” the former president exclaimed. “Because of them, our government is still of the people, by the people, and for the people. They are we, and we are still free. Now, we must make sure that sacrifice has never been in vain.”
At the end of the speech, Biden walked off to applause while a man towards the back repeatedly shouted something towards the former president, though it wasn’t clear if he was heckling Biden or cheering him on.
The former president’s office announced last week that he had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of cancer after doctors found a small nodule on his prostate, resulting in further evaluations. Eventually, it was discovered that Biden had prostate cancer that was “characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” a Biden spokesperson added. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Though Biden only took veiled shots at the current administration, and his successor, Donald Trump, couldn’t resist directly attacking the former president during his own Memorial Day speech, which was meant to honor America’s fallen heroes.
“That was a hard four years we went through — who would let that happen?” Trump grumbled. “People pouring through our borders, unchecked, people doing things that are indescribable.”
Meanwhile, the ex-president’s cancer diagnosis comes as he and his close aides and family have come under renewed fire over Biden’s cognitive and physical decline during his time in the White House, largely due to the release of the Robert Hur tapes and the publication of several recent books.
Specifically, the recently published Original Sin, co-authored by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios correspondent Alex Thompson, alleges that there was a White House “cover-up” to conceal Biden’s flailing health as the 2024 election approached. With Tapper and Thompson doing an extensive media tour to promote the book, Republicans and conservative media have called for a congressional investigation into the former administration’s handling of Biden’s declining health.
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