President Biden claimed to have cancer on Wednesday, prompting the White House press staff to swiftly explain that he was making reference to skin cancer treatment he underwent before assuming office last year.
The president made the comment during a speech about global warming in which he discussed pollutants from oil refineries close to his Claymont, Delaware, childhood home. At first, it seemed to be an astonishingly casual health announcement.
Biden had non-melanoma skin cancers removed before he became president, according to a tweet from Washington Post writer Glenn Kessler, according to the White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.
It’s unclear why Biden decided to discuss his encounter with cancer in the present tense.
Skin cancer is exceedingly prevalent and typically not life-threatening, especially in older persons who didn’t use sunscreen when they were younger.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Dr. Biden’s doctor, didn’t mention the president’s current malignancies in a health report he published last year.
Biden’s skin cancer was linked by O’Connor’s assessment to time spent in the sun rather than contact with chemicals employed by the oil sector.
O’Connor added that there are currently no suspected skin cancer spots.
Skin issues might get worse when exposed to air pollution. However, it’s unknown if Biden has ever connected oil refineries to his skin growths or if medical professionals have made that connection.
The 79-year-old Biden is the oldest US president in history, and the public routinely questions his mental sharpness.
However, he claims that he plans to run for a second term in 2024, barring any serious health issues, and his supporters point out that he has long suffered with mistakes or misleading statements.
While trying to establish a personal connection with his listeners, Biden frequently makes mistakes in his speech.