Joe Biden Says He Would Have Resigned as President If He Had Known About Cancer Diagnosis

Former President Joe Biden has acknowledged that he would have resigned from office and abandoned his 2024 reelection campaign if he had known he was suffering from cancer, raising new questions about his health during his final years in the White House.

In an interview with People magazine published Wednesday, Biden said he was unaware of his illness while serving as president and insisted that he did not deliberately conceal his condition from the American public.

“If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have resigned,” Biden said. “I would’ve not gone forward, because I don’t think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for [president].”

Biden, who turns 84 later this month, announced in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. The diagnosis came approximately four months after he left the White House.

The former president maintained that he had no evidence of cancer during his administration and defended the medical care he received. He said his doctors followed standard screening guidelines, which generally do not recommend routine prostate cancer screening for men over 70.

The revelation has renewed attention on Biden’s health during the 2024 presidential campaign, particularly his widely criticized debate performance against President Trump in June of that year.

Biden appeared to struggle with several answers during the debate, prompting concerns about his ability to serve another four-year term. The performance intensified pressure from Democratic lawmakers and party officials for him to withdraw from the race.

Despite the controversy, Biden now claims the debate was not particularly significant.

“Look, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t made a mistake in a debate,” Biden told People magazine. “To me, it was not very consequential.”

He also said he expected another debate against Trump, although that never happened. Biden withdrew from the presidential race weeks later and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost the election to Trump.

Biden rejected suggestions that his age made him incapable of performing his presidential duties, arguing that his experience and relationships with world leaders made him qualified to remain in office.

“I believe that on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job,” he said.

The former president also denied accusations that he withheld information about his cancer diagnosis, maintaining that the public was informed when he learned about the disease.

Biden has since undergone radiation treatment and continues receiving hormone therapy. He told People that recent medical tests showed no additional spread of the cancer, although treatment has affected his daily activities.

His health has also forced him to scale back promotional appearances for his upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for release November 17.

In a recent public message, Biden acknowledged that some days are more difficult than others and that his illness has limited his ability to travel.

The former president’s latest comments provide a new perspective on the health concerns that surrounded his final presidential campaign. Although Biden maintains that he was capable of serving, he now acknowledges that knowing about his cancer would have changed his decision to remain in office and seek another term.