Former US President Joe Biden, seen with a bandage on his head, told Nebraska Democrats on Friday, November 8, that his late son Beau Biden should have been elected president in 2020 instead of him.
Speaking at the Nebraska Democratic Party’s Ben Nelson Gala, Biden used the platform to deliver pointed criticism of President Donald Trump while reflecting on his family’s personal loss and ongoing battles with cancer.
Biden linked Beau’s 2015 death from brain cancer to his criticism of Trump’s administration, accusing it of “cutting government funding for cancer research.”
“Folks, I know what cancer research means,” Biden said. “Cancer hits every family. It’s hit my family hard.”
The former president grew emotional as he recalled his son’s service in Iraq:
“When the love of my life, my oldest son — the attorney general of Delaware, who should’ve been president, not me — volunteered to go to Iraq for a year, he didn’t have to. He came back with stage four glioblastoma because he lived near a burn pit just like those guys did on 9/11, and he died.”
Biden, who announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, also spoke about his recovery and advances in cancer treatment.
“Thank God for the doctors, nurses, and the incredible breakthroughs we’re making in cancer research,” he said.
Turning his attention back to politics, Biden accused Trump and Republicans of “cutting government funding for health care” and worsening the financial strain on American families.
Now 83, Biden appeared on stage with a fresh bandage on the left side of his head. The reason for the dressing remains unclear, though he previously underwent Mohs surgery for skin cancer in August, after which he appeared publicly with a bandage on another part of his head.
Biden’s speech grew more intense as he condemned the Trump administration for the prolonged government shutdown, which he said had deepened poverty across the country.
“Trump better get the damn government open,” Biden fumed. “We have a president who is deliberately making hunger worse for Americans. In the United States of America, one in five children go to bed hungry every night!”
As the crowd erupted in boos, Biden shot back:
“No, no, it’s more than ‘boo’ — it’s a disgrace!”
He ended his speech on an optimistic note, celebrating the Democratic Party’s recent successes in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, New York City, Georgia, and Mississippi.
“The Democratic Party is back — not hyperbole,” Biden declared. “Voters are sending a message to Trump and to his crowd.”
