In a surprising declaration, Joe Biden expressed that his late son, Beau, was more deserving of the presidency than himself, amid growing concerns about Biden’s health.
At the Ben Nelson Gala hosted by Nebraska’s Democratic Party on Friday, the 82-year-old former president criticized the Trump administration for reducing government funding dedicated to cancer research, an area his administration had emphasized.
“Cancer affects every family, and mine is no exception,” Biden shared with the audience.
He recounted the story of his eldest son, Beau, who served as Delaware’s attorney general and had volunteered for a year-long tour in Iraq. “He should have been president, not me,” Biden remarked, explaining how Beau returned home with stage four glioblastoma, a consequence of exposure to burn pits similar to those encountered by first responders on 9/11, which eventually led to his death.
Reflecting on Beau’s final days, Biden recalled a poignant moment when his son urged him from his hospital bed to remain active in political life—a story Biden has previously shared, which inspired his memoir’s title.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I know you. When I’m gone, you’ll want to quit. But, Dad, promise me, as a Biden, you’ll stay involved. Give me your word,'” Biden recounted, affirming that he kept that promise.
His son, Beau, died in 2015 at the age of 46 from brain cancer.
He had worked as a federal prosecutor before being elected Delaware’s attorney general in 2006 and re-elected to a second term in 2010.
Former President Joe Biden spoke at the Nebraska Democratic Party’s Ben Nelson Gala on Friday, when he hit out at the Trump administration for ‘cutting government funding for cancer research’ after his administration made it a ‘priority’
He admitted in his speech that his late son, Beau, should have been president instead of him. Biden is pictured here with his wife, Jill Biden, and Beau after he was elected Delaware attorney general in 2006
Beau joined the military in 2003 as a member of Delaware Army National Guard and as a major in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps.
In 2008, his unit was deployed to Iraq, and Beau served in active duty overseas until September 2009.
Announcing his death in a statement, Joe said his son – whom he described as ‘the finest man’ he had ever known – had battled his condition ‘with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life’.
‘More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son and brother,’ the then-vice president said at the time.
‘His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father’s saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did.
‘In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.’
Biden is now facing his own health battle with cancer, having been diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer in May.
He has since been spotted appearing in public with a large bandage on his head in August, after receiving Mohs surgery – a procedure to detect how deep skin cancer has spread.
The 46th president was then seen wearing another bandage as he spoke in Omaha on Friday, sharing his experience with cancer treatment and the importance of researching the disease.
Beau (left) died in 2015 at the age of 46. He is pictured here walking in the Inaugural Parade with his father and brother, Hunter, in 2009
In announcing his death, the then vice president described as ‘the finest man’ he had ever known. Biden is pictured here reacting to a plaque dedicated to his late son
‘When you get that research they’re doing, when they diagnose it – in my case, I just had prostate cancer – when you finish that round of treatment, you get to ring that bell at the end of each treatment.
‘Well, thank God for the doctors and nurses and incredible breakthroughs we’re making in cancer research. Now, Trump and his Republican friends are cutting government funding for health care, making it more expensive.’
The former president then continued on with more jabs at the Trump administration, getting particularly incensed when discussing the record-long government shutdown, which is now in its 40th day.
He said Trump ‘better get the damn government open’ and accused Trump of ‘deliberately making hunger worse for Americans,’ in reference to the lack of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
‘In the United States of America, one in five children, one in five children, go to bed hungry every night!’ Biden claimed.
In August, Biden was seen with a large bandage over his head after receiving Mohs surgery
He had a smaller bandage on his head as he spoke in Nebraska on Friday
Republicans have blamed Democrats for keeping the government closed, because almost every Republican senator has voted in favor of the proposed spending plan.
But a breakthrough was in sight on Sunday night, as Democrats joined their Republican rivals to strike a temporary deal to end the chaos. The deal reportedly includes a clause guaranteeing federal employees who were fired during the shutdown would have their jobs reinstated, as well as an assurance that such measures would not take place in the future.
It also reportedly ensures food stamp funding through the end of the 2026 fiscal year. The measure must still be formally voted on in the Senate before returning to the House and eventually to Trump’s desk for his signature.
He weighed in on the latest development when he returned to the White House on Sunday, telling reporters: ‘It looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.’
‘We’ll never agree to give any substantial money, or any money, to illegals that come into this country, and I think the Democrats understand that.’
