Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel told MSNBC Monday that former President Joe Biden has had prostate cancer for “several years,” given the diagnosis made public over the weekend.
Biden’s office revealed Sunday that the 82-year-old has an “aggressive” form of the disease that has spread to the bone. He had been having urinary symptoms, which led doctors to discover a nodule on his prostate.
“Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough asked Emanuel — a Harvard-trained oncologist, who advised the Biden, Obama, and Clinton administrations on medical issues — whether it was likely that the former president had had prostate cancer for several years.
“Oh, more than several years,” Emanuel answered.
Scarborough interrupted to clarify. “So this is not speculation — if you have prostate cancer that has spread to the bone, then he most certainly, you are saying, had it when he was president of the United States?”
“Oh, yeah,” Emanuel confirmed. “He did not develop it in the last 100, 200 days. He had it while he was president. He probably had it at the start of his presidency, in 2021,” the doctor added. “I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.”
🚨Dr Zeke Emanuel on MSNBC: Biden had cancer while President:
“He did not develop it in the last, 100, 200 days. He had it while he was President. He probably had it at the start of his presidency, in 2021.”
“I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.” pic.twitter.com/Vd87jgXvFO
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 19, 2025
In light of the diagnosis, many have pointed back to comments Biden made in 2022, during which he said he and many people he grew up with had cancer. The White House described his comments at the time as a gaffe, saying the then-president was referring to a non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis.
Do you think the Biden camp is being truthful about the timing of the cancer diagnosis?
However, the skin lesion had been removed, and Biden’s 2022 comments were in reference to chemicals in the air near his home in Delaware.
Dr. Drew Pinsky, an internist, posted on social media platform X, “To be fair, beginning with the finding of a nodule and then discovering advanced disease does not pass the sniff test. Someone not receiving adequate or routine healthcare this would make some sense but does not fit the level of medical supervision given to POTUS.”
To be fair, beginning with the finding of a nodule and then discovering advanced disease does not pass the sniff test. Someone not receiving adequate or routine healthcare this would make some sense but does not fit the level of medical supervision given to POTUS. https://t.co/ldujgqqWiM
— Dr. Drew (@drdrew) May 18, 2025
Washington Post columnist and former George W. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen was also incredulous that White House physicians could have missed Biden’s prostate cancer during his four years in the White House.
“As President, Biden had the best medical care in the world, with far more testing and screening than the average American. I know because I had the same level of care when I was there,” Thiessen posted Monday on X.
As President, Biden had the best medical care in the world, with far more testing and screening than the average American. I know because I had the same level of care when I was there. How could White House doctors miss this diagnosis to the point that the cancer metastasized to…
— Marc Thiessen 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦🇹🇼🇮🇱 (@marcthiessen) May 19, 2025
“How could White House doctors miss this diagnosis to the point that the cancer metastasized to his bones?” he asked.
“Either they knew and covered it up, missed the diagnosis, or the cancer appeared and spread suddenly – which docs I’ve spoken with tell me would be very unusual. If latter does not bode well for him.”
Given Biden’s diagnosis, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked Monday whether President Donald Trump is worried about the quality of care he receives.
PETER DOOCY: Is President Trump worried about the quality of care that Presidents get here?
LEAVITT: Not as far as President Trump is concerned. The White House physician we have here is phenomenal, and the team of physicians that take care of the President, particularly at… pic.twitter.com/JN5xzUmlES
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 19, 2025
“Not as far as President Trump is concerned,” she responded. “The White House physician we have here is phenomenal, and the team of physicians that take care of the President, particularly at Walter Reed Medical Center, are great.”
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