'I would’ve not gone forward': Biden says he would have dropped out of 2024 race if he knew about cancer

Former US president Joe Biden has said he would not have pursued a second term in the White House if he had known he was suffering from cancer, while also dismissing the impact of his widely criticised 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.In an interview with PEOPLE, Biden said he felt unwell before his prostate cancer diagnosis but did not know the illness was responsible. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease in May 2025, four months after leaving office.“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),” Biden said.He added that he believed he was the person best equipped to serve as president at the time, saying: “I believe that on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job.”Biden also rejected suggestions that he had concealed information about his health while in office. He said the public was informed after his diagnosis was confirmed.“I didn’t do that.