Donald Trump accuses Joe Biden's staff of 'not telling facts' about cancer diagnosis

Donald Trump has accused fomer White House staff of covering up 's ailing health after the former president revealed he was battling a “high grade” prostate this week.

In his first on-screen interview since Biden's diagnosis, Trump questioned how doctors failed to diagnose the 82-year-old with advanced prostate cancer until after he had left office, pointing the finger at Biden's staff for “not telling the facts.” The told reporters in the Oval Office: “I’m surprised the public wasn’t notified a long time ago. To get to stage nine, that’s a long time.” Biden's cancer scoring of a 9 on the Gleason scale indicates a “high-grade” cancer that can spread quickly, according to .

Trump, 78, said he himself had undergone a full physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in April, and claimed a is “standard” for “pretty much anyone getting a good physical.” He added: “When you take tests, as a male, that test is very standard."

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

"This is dangerous for our country,” Trump said, noting that Biden contributed to the “mess” the is in now. While Biden's representatives have not revealed the stage of cancer, they did disclosed it had metastasised (spread) to his bones.

“If it’s the same doctor that said there’s nothing wrong there, and that’s being proven to be a very sad situation,” Trump said on Monday, adding: “I think someone is going to have to speak to his doctor. Why wasn’t the cognitive ability - why wasn’t that discussed?”

While he acknowledged that Biden's diagnosis was “very very sad,” Trump also highlighted that several doctors, including former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, had long claimed that Biden was in top mental condition - until the public witnessed signs of cognitive decline during the June 27, 2024, debate against Trump.

O’Connor had given Biden a nearly clean bill of health during his most recent physical in late February 2024, stating he “identified no new concerns” at the time. That physical did not mention a prostate exam, although Biden did undergo a colonoscopy.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also stated that Biden was not considered to need a cognitive test, despite growing public concern over his verbal slip-ups and gaffes - such as when he asked “Where’s Jackie?” while searching for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) at an event in September 2022.

“The president doesn’t need a cognitive test. That is not my assessment, that is the assessment of the president’s doctor, that is also the assessment of his neurologist,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at the time.

On Sunday, 's representatives announced the former President had been diagnosed with an "aggressive" and metastatic form of following a medical investigation the previous week. The news, which caused shockwaves across the US and beyond, was met - initially - with heartfelt tributes from both sides of the American political aisle, with among those initially extending his well-wishes.

Others, including ultra-MAGA representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have taken a softer approach, with the famously animated Biden critic saying she was "sorry to hear this news" and Republican House of Representatives majority leader Mike Johnson saying his family "will be joining the countless others who are praying for the former President in the wake of his diagnosis".