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. We let the public know when I found out, when I knew what was going on,” he told PEOPLE, adding that national leaders should be open about health conditions that affect them.The interview comes ahead of the release of Biden’s presidential memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for next Tuesday. The former president has said his cancer diagnosis will limit his ability to promote the book.
Biden plays down impact of 2024 debate
Biden also addressed his June 2024 debate against Trump, which intensified concerns about his ability to continue as the Democratic presidential candidate. During the televised encounter, he appeared confused at several points and struggled to articulate his arguments, triggering calls within his party for him to reconsider his candidacy.However, Biden described the debate as having little influence on his decision to leave the race.“Look, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t made a mistake in a debate,” he said. “To me, it was not very consequential.”He said he had expected another debate to take place and maintained that the absence of a second encounter did not change his assessment of the first.Biden eventually withdrew from the presidential contest and endorsed then-vice president Kamala Harris, just 107 days before the November 2024 election. A second debate took place in September, with Harris facing Trump.The performance also raised concerns within Biden’s family. His wife, Jill Biden, reportedly thought he might have been having a stroke during the debate.