‘Saddened’: Donald Trump reacts to Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis

In a statement released on Sunday (US time), Mr Biden’s office said the 82-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer which has metastasised to the bone, after experiencing urinary symptoms. 

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the statement read.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”

Taking to Truth Social, Mr Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Mr Biden’s age and cognitive ability, wished his former political opponent a “fast and successful recovery”.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” the President wrote. 

“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Mr Biden’s office said the former US President and his family “are reviewing treatment options with his physicians”.

A spokesperson for Mr Biden earlier announced on Tuesday a “small nodule” had been found in his prostate following a regular medical exam.

The discovery “necessitated further evaluation,” the spokesperson said at the time.

‘Joe is a fighter’

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who took over the reins from Mr Biden in the 2024 presidential campaign, also took to social media to wish Mr Biden a “speeding recovery”, calling 82-year-old a “fighter”.

“Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time,” Ms Harris wrote. 

“Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”

Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz said he and his wife were praying for Mr Biden, calling him “a truly decent man and a friend”.

“We’re wishing him all the best,” he wrote on X.

Meanwhile Donald Trump Jr reshaped a post about Mr Biden on X which read: “Politics aside, we wish his a speedy recovery.”

“Agreed 100%,” Trump Jr wrote.

Recording sparks debate 

The news of Mr Biden’s cancer diagnosis comes after a recording of him speaking hesitantly and struggling to remember key events and dates, released last week, fuelled renewed debate over his mental capabilities while still in office.

The recording was taken from the then-President’s October 2023 interviews with special counsel Robert Hur – who was investigating his handling of classified documents – and was obtained by Axios ahead of the release of a new book that lays bare the extent of Mr Biden’s mental and physical decline during his administration.

In the recording, Mr Biden struggled to recall the year he left office as Vice President, the year his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 or why he had the classified documents in question.

“The audio shows what the transcript lacks – the president’s dry-whisper voice and the long silences as he struggles to find the right words or dates,” the Axios report read.

“Those often were supplied by his attorneys, who acted as caretakers of his memory … Throughout his testimony, Biden sounded more like a nostalgic, grandfatherly storyteller than a potential defendant who could be accused of hoarding secret papers.”

Earlier this month, Mr Biden, who left office in January as the oldest serving US president in history, hit back at suggestions he experienced significant cognitive decline in his final year as President. 

“They are wrong,” he told ABC’s The View. “There is nothing to sustain that.”

The Democrat maintains he could have won the 2024 presidential election, after he dropped out of the race due to questions over his age and abilities.

His vice president, Kamala Harris, eventually lost to Republican Donald Trump.