Biden Cancer Controversy | 5.20.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: Biden Cancer Controversy | 05.20.25

Release Date: May 20, 2025

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Introduction

In the May 20th episode of "Morning Wire," hosted by Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and co-host Georgia Howe, the spotlight is on the explosive announcement of former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis. The episode navigates through the details of the diagnosis, questions surrounding its timing, and the ensuing political fallout, offering listeners a comprehensive analysis of this developing story.

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Biden's Cancer Diagnosis

Details of the Diagnosis

Georgia Howe kicks off the episode by highlighting the gravity of the news: Joe Biden has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. John Bickley elaborates on the severity, stating:

"Prostate cancer is typically among the most treatable forms of cancer when caught early. But in President Biden's case, it's metastasized or spread to his bones. Doctors say that makes it nearly impossible to treat." ([01:18])

Further emphasizing the aggressive nature of Biden's cancer, Bickley notes:

"The five-year survival rate for prostate cancer patients deemed metastatic is just 28%. The severity of a prostate cancer diagnosis is graded on a Gleason scale of 6 to 10. And President Biden is a Gleason scale 9, meaning it's incredibly aggressive and likely to spread further." ([01:25])

Timeline and Cover-Up Allegations

The episode delves into suspicions regarding when Biden was diagnosed and whether this information was concealed during his presidency. Experts like Dr. David Shusterman raise doubts about the official timeline:

"It takes from the first diagnosis of prostate cancer to spread would take five to 10 years, even in the most aggressive form." ([03:09])

Cabot Phillips adds:

"Surprising that the first diagnosis would be a metastatic diagnosis. There's definitely evidence that he probably knew about this for a while." ([03:21])

Further complicating matters, Dr. Zeke Emanuel asserts:

"He probably had it at the start of his presidency. I don't think there's any disagreement about that." ([03:19])

Political Reactions

Republican and Trump White House Responses

The Republican reaction is multifaceted, with notable figures expressing concern and criticism:

• Trump's Statement:

  "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery." ([07:00])

• Vice President Jody Vance's Critique:

  "This is serious stuff. And this is the guy who carries around the nuclear football for the world's largest nuclear arsenal. This is not child's play." ([08:11])

Caroline Levitt, White House Press Secretary, maintains a balanced stance but defers deeper discussions:

"I'll let the president speak on that." ([07:45])

Public and Social Media Reaction

The announcement has ignited a flurry of discussions on social media, with many questioning the timing and transparency of Biden's health disclosure. Donald Trump Jr. voices suspicion over the timing:

"The timing was suspicious and was intended to deflect questions about a potential White House cover-up regarding his decline." ([08:57])

Democratic Responses

Within the Democratic ranks, there's a call for compassion and restraint. David Axelrod emphasizes:

"Those conversations are going to happen, but they should be more muted and set aside for now as he's struggling through this." ([09:45])

Additionally, Biden's former press secretary criticizes the administration's transparency:

"This was a group in the White House who were allergic to transparency. I couldn't get reporters straight answers because nobody would give me straight answers." ([10:13])

Trump's Budget Bill and National Debt Concerns

Budget Bill Passage

Shifting focus, the episode discusses the passage of Trump's budget bill, highlighting intra-party negotiations and concessions:

"A deal was struck to put more cuts to green energy in the bill as well as push forward Medicaid work requirements under the current version of the bill." ([11:08])

National Debt Issues

The podcast underscores the looming national debt crisis:

• Current Debt Status:

  "The United States is nearly $37 trillion in debt with no realistic plan to pay it off through April of this year. The interest alone on the debt made up about 16% of all federal spending." ([11:45])

• Economic Implications:

  Jason Katz comments on the debt situation:

  "The debt is a long-term train wreck waiting to happen. In the short run, however, we have this sugar high and hopefully we could grow our way out of this issue through a larger tax base earning more money." ([12:06])

Credit Rating Downgrade

Moody's recent downgrade of the US credit rating adds to fiscal concerns:

"Moody's dropped the US Credit rating on Friday from the highest possible A to AA, one that sent yields on 10 and 30-year bonds up." ([12:32])

Vice President Jody Vance responds by highlighting economic strengths despite the downgrade:

"People around the world have confidence in the United States of America. Inflation dropped once again. Oil prices are dropping, gas prices are dropping. The president has added nearly a half million jobs." ([12:56])

Conclusion

The "Morning Wire" episode on the Biden Cancer Controversy provides an in-depth analysis of a potentially significant political scandal, examining the implications of Biden's health on his legacy and the broader political landscape. Coupled with discussions on the Trump budget bill and national debt challenges, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of the current state of American politics and governance.

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Notable Quotes

• John Bickley on the scandal:

  "This is a scandal and we don't know the full extent of it yet." ([00:09])

• President Biden's statement:

  "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support." ([01:09])

• Dr. Stephen Quay:

  "It is highly likely he was carrying a diagnosis of prostate cancer throughout his White House tenure. And, and the American people were uninformed." ([03:19])

• Vice President Jody Vance:

  "This is serious stuff. And this is the guy who carries around the nuclear football for the world's largest nuclear arsenal. This is not child's play." ([08:11])

• Senator Mike Lee:

  "The announcement certainly evokes a lot of sympathy for the former president, but it probably magnifies the skepticism directed at those who enabled him and aggressively concealed his declining health." ([10:24])

• Jason Katz:

  "The debt is a long term train wreck waiting to happen. In the short run, however, we have this sugar high and hopefully we could grow our way out of this issue through a larger tax base earning more money." ([12:06])

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This summary is based on the transcript provided and aims to encapsulate the key discussions and insights from the "Morning Wire" podcast episode titled "Biden Cancer Controversy."

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

Former President Biden's cancer announcement prompts questions about an even deeper health cover up.

[John Bickley]

This is a scandal and we don't know the full extent of it yet.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, May 20th, and this is Morning Wire.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

How is the Trump White House reacting to the former president's health news and the timing of its release?

[John Bickley]

I think it's very sad, actually. I'm surprised that it wasn't, you know, the public wasn't notified a long time.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

Ago because to get to stage nine.

[John Bickley]

That'S a long time.

[Georgia Howe]

And Trump's budget bill clears another hurdle. But will it lead to unsustainable debt?

[John Bickley]

Yes. This GOP bill could add nearly $4 trillion to our deficit over the next decade.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. As we learn more details of Joe Biden's cancer prognosis, there are growing questions about whether the former president was diagnosed while in office and the news was kept from the American people.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here now with more. So Cabot, this story continues to send shockwaves through Washington. What have we learned in the past 24 hours?

[John Bickley]

Well, the more we learn about this prognosis, the more concerning it appears. Prostate cancer is typically among the most treatable forms of cancer when caught early. But in President Biden's case, it's metastasized or spread to his bones. Doctors say that makes it nearly impossible to treat. Every case is different, but the five year survival rate for prostate cancer patients deemed metastatic is just 28%. The severity of a prostate cancer diagnosis is graded on a gleason scale of 6 to 10. And President Biden is a Gleason scale 9, meaning it's incredibly aggressive and likely to spread further. So he certainly faces an uphill battle. Former president issued his first public statement since the news saying, quote, cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.

[Georgia Howe]

So devastating news for the president. Now, he said he just got this diagnosis on Friday, but some experts are saying that that probably wasn't the case.

[John Bickley]

Well, look, obviously it's a very touchy subject when you're talking about a man with stage four cancer. But when that man is the former president of the United States, there's good reason to question when this diagnosis came and if it came when he was in office and then was intentionally hidden from the American people. If Biden and his team knew he had this serious, potentially fatal illness and still chose to launch a reelection campaign without telling anyone, it would obviously be a massive political scandal. And there are plenty of folks who now question the official timeline we're being given here. First, it's very unusual for prostate cancer to have already metastasized by the time of diagnosis. That's only the case for about one in 20 prostate cancer patients. Typically, it takes anywhere from three to 10 years for this cancer to spread the way it has. That has led a number of prominent doctors to publicly cast doubt on the timeline. For example, here's renowned urologist Dr. David Shusterman on NewsNation. It takes from the first diagnosis of.

[Cabot Phillips]

Prostate cancer to spread would take five.

[John Bickley]

To 10 years, even in the most aggressive form.

[Cabot Phillips]

It's just to me, it seems very.

[John Bickley]

Surprising that it would the first diagnosis would be a metastatic diagnosis. There's definitely evidence that he probably knew.

[Cabot Phillips]

About this for a while.

[John Bickley]

Dr. Shusterman and other urologists have said that a cancer this aggressive would almost certainly have shown up during a routine physical or blood work. And any president is the most closely monitored human on the planet. They said it would have been nearly impossible for a cancer this advanced to have gone under the radar through those checkups to that point. Here's Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a vice provost at the University of Penn Medical school, speaking on MSNBC. He did not develop it in the last hundred, 200 days. He had it while he was president. He probably had it at the start of his presidency. I don't think there's any disagreement about that. And Dr. Stephen Quay, a former faculty member at Stanford's pathology department, put it more bluntly, saying, quote, it is highly likely he was carrying a diagnosis of prostate cancer throughout his White House tenure. And, and the American people were uninformed. And according to Dr. Vin Gupta, while past presidents all offered detailed PSA reports of their prostate exams while in office, President Biden's medical reports only offered vague details on that topic. Have a listen.

[Cabot Phillips]

President Trump's, President Obama's and President and President Bush the second in their most recent physicals in their terms of office. Obviously 2025, President Trump did comment on on their PSA levels. And so they got screened while in office and they commented on it. There is not a report of a PSA test on the most recent physical that was read out for President Biden's last year in office.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, and there's also some comments from the president himself that are now coming under scrutiny.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. This is interesting. So during a 2022 speech addressing environmental concerns, then, President Biden appeared to say that he had cancer. Have a listen. You had to put on your windshield wipers to get literally the oil slick off the window. That's why I and so damn many other people I grew up have cancer. Now, at the time of that speech, the White House quickly issued a statement saying that President Biden had misspoken and was referring to a few small skin cancer spots that he had removed years earlier. But now there are plenty of folks who want to know if he actually had slipped up there and was letting folks know that he had prostate cancer. And finally, the timing of this announcement has cast doubt on the veracity of that timeline. The cancer announcement came just two days after audio recordings of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Herr were released and just a day and a half before that highly anticipated book documenting his physical and mental decline was set to be published. Skeptics of the former president say the timing was no coincidence and was intended to deflect questions about a potential White House cover up regarding his decline. So a lot going on here.

[Georgia Howe]

Yeah, well, and a lot of medical professionals say there's no way he didn't know about this diagnosis earlier. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

[John Bickley]

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[Georgia Howe]

The country and Capitol Hill are still reeling from President Biden's diagnosis.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

Here to discuss the political and public response is Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan. Hey, Mary Margaret. So first, let's start with the White House. How is the White House responding to this news?

[Caroline Levitt]

Good morning, Don. So, yes, the White House has been pretty dignified in its response to the news thus far. Trump said in a statement last night that he and Melania are saddened to hear about the diagnosis. And I'm quoting here, we extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery. Now White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt called a press briefing on Monday morning and she repeatedly refrained from getting into the weeds on Biden's health. Many of us were eager to ask her about this, especially since Biden has been president for many years and has routinely undergone physical examinations with his personal physician who routinely declared Biden fit for office. Here's what Caroline had to say on that point. Is there any interest in further scrutiny of Kevin o' Connor, the former president's position?

[Jody Vance]

I'll let the president speak on that. I spoke to the president again about the former president's health diagnosis last night and he wanted to extend his warmest wishes to the former president and his family. But as for any further action, I'll let the president speak on that first.

[Caroline Levitt]

Now, Vice President Jody Vance took on the issue a little more directly when speaking with reporters on Air Force Two yesterday. He was more aggressive, arguing that Biden was not fit to be serving as president.

[Mike Johnson]

You can separate the desire for him to have the right health outcome with a recognition that whether it was doctors or whether there were staffers around the former president, I don't think he was able to do a good job for the American people. And that's not politics. That's not because I disagreed with him on policy. That's because I don't think that he was in good enough health. In some ways I blame him less than I blame the people, people around him. And why did the American people have a better sense of his health picture? Why didn't the American people have more accurate information about what he was actually dealing with? This is serious stuff. And this is the guy who carries around the nuclear football for the world's largest nuclear arsenal. This is not child's play.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

So the vice president not soft pedaling this at all. Widening out here. How are Republicans and Trump supporters reacting to this news?

[Caroline Levitt]

Social media has exploded with concerns about how long Biden had cancer, who knew about it, what role Biden staffers and Joe Biden herself played aid in covering up Biden's mental decline and more. Some people are arguing that we should stop talking about Biden's mental decline due to the cancer diagnosis. But others are saying that the announcement, which comes two days ahead of a massive book release on the COVID up of Biden's mental decline is highly suspicious. One of those people is Donald Trump Jr. Trump's son, who told me that the announcement timing is suspicious, saying, and I'm quoting the fact that it breaks this week, that he has it and we are told we're not allowed to talk about anything Joe Biden right now, because that would be uncouth, screams to me to be an additional part of this cover. Up to that point, here's Democrat strategist David Axelrod calling for restraint on cnn.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

Those conversations are going to happen, but they should be more muted and set aside for now as he's struggling through this. Not many people heeding those directives at this point. What else are we hearing from Democrats?

[Caroline Levitt]

Well, Joe Biden's former press secretary went on Fox and Friends on Monday and pretty much tore into the Biden administration for a lack of transparency. He had some fiery comments. Here's a taste of that.

[Cabot Phillips]

This was a group in the White House who were allergic to transparency. I couldn't get reporters straight answers because.

[John Bickley]

Nobody would give me straight answers.

[Caroline Levitt]

Senator Mike Lee told me yesterday that it's likely to put more focus on Biden's condition while he was in office. He told me, and I'm quoting, the announcement certainly evokes a lot of sympathy for the former president, but it probably magnifies the skepticism directed at those who enabled him and aggressively concealed his declining health.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

It's hard to argue against that point. Mayor Margaret, thank you so much for breaking this down for us.

[Caroline Levitt]

Thank you.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

In a rare Sunday vote, Trump's big, beautiful bill cleared a key procedural hurdle despite grave concerns about national debt from within the gop.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the bill and the intraparty politics surrounding it. Hey, Tim. So this bill failed on its first attempt in committee, but then it passed the second time around. What changed?

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, conservatives got a few concessions. A deal was struck to put more cuts to green energy in the bill as well as push forward Medicaid work requirements under the current version of the bill. Those won't kick in until 2029. It was only after those promises were made that Texas Chip Roy and three other conservatives decided to vote present so the bill could pass out of committee in a 17 to 16 party line vote. But even with those promises, the bill's future is still in limbo. Royce said in a post on X that, quote, the bill does not yet meet the moment. Of course, with more cuts wanted in the future. House Speaker Mike Johnson runs the risk of angering moderates with so many conservative reforms.

[Georgia Howe]

So conservatives think the bill is too expensive?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, they're concerned about the national debt. For context, the United states is nearly $37 trillion in debt with no realistic plan to pay it off through April of this year. The interest alone on the debt made up about 16% of all federal spending. Jason Katz, the managing director and senior portfolio manager at ubs, spoke about the national debt. Here he is yesterday on FOX Business.

[John Bickley]

The debt is a long term train wreck waiting to happen. In the short run, however, we have this sugar high and hopefully we could grow our way out of this issue through a larger tax base earning more money.

[Cabot Phillips]

So Katz there endorses what many Trump administration allies have said, that strict spending cuts aren't the only way to get out of the debt hole we're in now.

[Georgia Howe]

Speaking of debt, the United States credit rating was just downgraded last week. What does that mean?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, Moody's dropped the US Credit rating on Friday from the highest possible A to AA, one that sent yields on 10 and 30 year bonds up. And over time, it could push the cost of borrowing up. That means higher rates for auto loans, home loans and even credit cards. It's worth noting that Moody's pointed to the ever growing federal budget deficit to explain its decision. White House press Secretary Caroline Levitt responded to Moody's decision on Monday.

[Jody Vance]

We have seen trillions of dollars of investments flowing into our economy since the president took office. That is because America, people around the world have confidence in the United States of America. And if you also just look at the raw economic data that we're seeing, last week when we were out of town, inflation dropped once again. Oil prices are dropping, gas prices are dropping. The president has added nearly a half million jobs. The American economy already. So there's a lot of optimism in this economy. And the president disagrees with that assessment.

[Cabot Phillips]

So the White House clearly not happy with Moody's decision.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, we'll see if that gives conservatives some leverage negotiating this bill. Tim, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for having me.

[Mary Margaret Olihan]

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news. You need to know.