WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Monday that former President Joe Biden was not in “good enough health” to carry out his duties — and accused the 46th president’s former staffers of keeping his health under wraps — one day after news of Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis was revealed.
“We really do need to be honest about whether the former president was capable of doing the job,” Vance told reporters on Air Force Two before returning to Washington from Rome.
“Whether it was doctors or whether it was staffers around the former president, I don’t think he was able to do a good job for the American people.”
Vance, 40, insisted his criticism didn’t stem from political differences with Biden — but only from a lack of transparency surrounding the Democrat’s health.
Biden aides have long been accused of covering up the then-president’s fading cognitive abilities — including by limiting his public schedule, including press availability; forcing him to board Air Force One using shorter stairs; and outfitting him in more comfortable shoes to prevent stumbles and falls.
Biden’s office issued a statement Sunday revealing the 82-year-old had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. The cancer “appears to be hormone sensitive,” the statement read, meaning that the treatment can be manageable.
The timing of the statement made some doctors question how the cancer could have been missed for so long, given that Biden received annual physicals as president.
Follow the latest on Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis:
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Biden’s 2022 cancer ‘slip-up’ that was downplayed by White House resurfaces after ex-president’s surprise diagnosis
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Doctor who worked with Biden says he had cancer ‘while he was president’: ‘He did not develop it in the last 100 to 200 days’
“In some ways I blame him less than I blame the people around him,” Vance said, noting that “of course we wish the best for the former president’s health.”
“Why didn’t the American people have a better sense of his health picture?” the veep asked.
“This is serious stuff. This is a guy who carries around the nuclear football for the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. This is not child’s play,” Vance went on.
President Trump issued a statement Sunday saying he and first lady Melania Trump were “saddened” to hear about Biden’s medical diagnosis.
“We extend our warmest and best whishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” Trump, 78, wrote on Truth Social.
