By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Former President Joe Biden ordinarily would have been out of the line of fire for nearly a year since giving up his reelection bid last July.
Yet, he continued to be criticized by President Trump during the balance of the 2024 campaign and almost on a daily basis since the new administration took office on Jan. 20.
To his credit and my mild surprise, President Trump and his wife sent well wishes to the Bidens, along with other of the former president’s political allies and rivals alike on Sunday following news of the cancer diagnosis.
No. 47 is known to be harsh, even cruel at times, in his public statements and online posts when responding to his critics. The news of Biden’s health challenges came at a time when new questions are being asked about his decision to run for a second term despite concern about his mental sharpness.
Much of that chatter came from Democrats who said he should have dropped out earlier. Also, several prominent members of his party were frustrated by the former president’s return to the media spotlight to challenge those assertions.
But compassion won out over politics on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans — including some of his most outspoken critics — chose to take the respectful high road by praising his four decades of service to America and wishing him well in his battle against prostate cancer, the second deadliest form of the disease in men.
The Trumps extended their “warmest and best wishes” to Biden for a full recovery. In my opinion, it might have been Mr. Trump’s most presidential act since starting a second term in the White House.
Ironically, Mr. Biden had a painful personal connection to cancer well before the diagnosis, having lost his son Beau to brain cancer. As a senator, vice president and president, he was a strong advocate for cancer research and early detection.
It is sad that his legacy of public service will be tarnished by suspicions that his closest advisers may have concealed his cognitive decline during his time in the White House.
I commend President Trump for realizing that an opponent’s cancer diagnosis is not the time for politics as usual. I hope he can stay on that noble path.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
