When news broke about former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis, many responded with sympathy and well-wishes. But Donald Trump Jr.’s reaction sparked outrage instead.
On May 19, 2025, Trump Jr. shared a post on X from Dr. Steven Quay, who questioned the timing and severity of Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. Quay suggested that detecting metastatic cancer at such an advanced stage would imply medical negligence, raising suspicions about whether Biden’s condition had been concealed during his presidency.
Trump Jr. amplified these claims with his own inflammatory comment: “What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup???” The remark, which insinuated negligence or deception by Biden’s wife—an educator, not a medical doctor—was widely condemned as tasteless and cruel.
Critics quickly called out Trump Jr.’s lack of empathy. Author Don Winslow refused to repost the message, instead sharing an old photo of Trump Jr. posing with hunting trophies, captioning it, “Barbaric or game?” Others echoed the sentiment, with one user writing, “Mocking a cancer diagnosis is a disgusting low.”
Interestingly, Trump Jr. had initially responded more respectfully, reposting a message wishing Biden a speedy recovery. But his later conspiracy-laden remarks overshadowed that brief moment of decency.
Meanwhile, his father, former President Donald Trump, struck a different tone. On Truth Social, he expressed sympathy, writing, “The news of Joe Biden’s latest medical diagnosis saddens Melania and me. We wish Joe a speedy and full recovery.”
Biden’s diagnosis, revealed on May 18, confirmed an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. Doctors assigned it a Gleason score of 9, indicating a high-grade, fast-growing disease. Despite the severity, medical experts noted that hormone-sensitive cancers often respond well to treatment.
As Biden consults with his medical team, the focus has shifted to the unnecessary politicization of his health. Trump Jr.’s remarks, in particular, were seen as crossing a line—turning a personal struggle into a partisan spectacle.
