President Joe Biden makes first appearance after cancer diagnosis to mark celebratory end of an era
Joe Biden served as President of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Recently, he made his first public appearance after being diagnosed with a serious form of prostate cancer. Even though he’s now 82 years old and dealing with health issues, he showed up smiling and in good spirits as he joined his family to celebrate a special occasion—his grandson’s high school graduation.
He and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, attended the graduation of their grandson, Robert “Hunter” Biden III, who is the son of Biden’s late son Beau and Hallie Biden. The graduation took place at Salisbury School in Connecticut on Friday, May 23. Joe was joined by other close family members including Hunter’s aunt Ashley Biden and his sister, Natalie, who is 20. Jill proudly shared a photo of the family on social media and wrote, “Proud Nana and Pop! Congratulations Hunter – we are so proud of you.”
The night before the graduation, the Biden family had a dinner celebration at The Woodland Restaurant in Lakeville, Connecticut. The restaurant posted about their visit, saying they were honored to have Joe and Jill dine with them. They described Joe as being kind, respectful, and easy to talk to, noting how much the staff and guests appreciated his warmth. They congratulated his grandson and thanked the Bidens for making the evening feel special.
Just a few days earlier, on May 18, Biden’s office had released a statement confirming that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. During a routine check-up, doctors found a nodule, and after further testing, it was confirmed to be cancerous. The cancer had already spread to his bones, and his Gleason score—a system used to rate how aggressive prostate cancer is—was a 9 out of 10, which indicates a fast-growing and serious case. However, his doctors noted that the cancer is hormone-sensitive, which means it can be treated with hormone therapy and possibly managed effectively.
Despite this difficult news, Biden took a moment to share a personal message with the public. Alongside a photo of himself and Jill sitting at home with their cat, he wrote about how cancer has affected so many people, not just himself. He said that he and Jill have found strength even in hard times and thanked everyone for their love and support.
Surprisingly, even former President Donald Trump reached out with kind words. He and his wife Melania sent a message saying they were saddened to hear about Biden’s diagnosis and offered their best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. That gesture stood out given the political rivalry between the two men.
As Joe Biden and his family now focus on his treatment and recovery, the public moment at his grandson’s graduation showed a more personal side of the former president—a grandfather proud of his family, facing a tough diagnosis with grace, and still finding joy in life’s milestones.
