Biden's Cancer Fight Limits His Post-Presidency

Joe Biden's life after the presidency is unfolding far from the spotlight—and with far less bandwidth than his predecessors had. In the Washington Post, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. reports that his cancer treatment is a primary reason. A year and a half after leaving office, the 83-year-old continues to undergo treatment in Delaware for Stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Those close to him say the treatment seems to be helping, but it has left him "visibly frail" and largely focused on a tight circle of family, friends, and longtime aides, writes Wootson. Unlike recent ex-presidents who rapidly built foundations and global brands, Biden has kept a modest schedule and struggled to raise significant money for a presidential library.

That quieter existence may be about to collide with politics again. Biden has a memoir out Nov. 17, and a federal appeals court just cleared the way for conservatives to obtain records tied to the special counsel's description of him as an "elderly man with a poor memory." Democrats worry his visible health challenges and revived debate over whether voters were misled in 2024 could distract from their midterm message, even as some insist he'll barely register with voters. For a more detailed look Biden's constrained post-presidency—and the tensions it's stirring—read Wootson's full story.