Joe Biden has a book coming out, Promise Me, America, In the run-up to its release on Tuesday, the former president is speaking out on a number of topics. One of them is his stage 4 cancer diagnosis. The disease has reportedly spread to his bones. Per People, he said that if he had been aware of his cancer while still in office, he would have stepped down and also ended his bid for re-election as well. As it turned out, Biden eventually did cut his campaign short after a dismal failed debate with Donald Trump that led many to question his mental fitness for the demanding top role.
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Now 83, Biden told the outlet, "What I can't say, because there's no evidence of it — if I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have resigned. I would've not gone forward, because I don't think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for [president]. But that wasn't the case."
He added, "I believe that on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job."
The Debate With Trump Is Still a Controversial Sticking Point
Joe Biden downplays the debate that sank his hopes for another term in office. While verbally jousting with his GOP opponent Trump, Biden seemed at times out of it and befuddled. His mental acuity was then up for robust discussion. Even now, however, Biden minimizes his weak performance that night and the overwhelmingly negative fallout afterward.
"Look, I don't know anybody who hasn't made a mistake in a debate. To me, it was not very consequential. First of all, I thought there'd be another debate, which there wasn't. But notwithstanding the fact that there wasn't another debate, it didn't disturb me because it wasn't consequential."
He Remains Resolutely Upbeat Despite the Seriousness of His Illness
True to his positive nature, Joe Biden is not wallowing in despair due to his health status. He is taking each day as it comes and staying as optimistic and forward-looking as possible. He shared with People, "There's a lot of people who've been diagnosed with cancer, particularly the kind of cancer I have, who live long lives, who live for another 10, 20 years. And so far the two tests that have been done show that the cancer is not metastasized beyond what it already was ... There are eight different pills I take a day."
"I Wasn't Hiding It at All"
Biden firmly denies that he concealed the state of his health from the nation during his presidency. He said to People, "I didn't do that. We let the public know when I found out, when I knew what was going on. I think it's important for a national leader, as president, to let people know they go through some of the very same things that a lot of American people are going through ... I wasn't hiding it at all."
