Nancy Pelosi faced criticism for perceived inconsistency when she publicly wished Joe Biden well after he was diagnosed with cancer, despite playing a role in the end of his political career less than a year ago.
The Democrat former House Speaker reportedly led the behind-the-scenes push to oust Biden from the presidential race last year.
But on Sunday she changed her tune and praised the former president as a ‘great American patriot’ following his shock cancer diagnosis.
Expressing solidarity, Pelosi and her husband, Paul, expressed their support for Biden, stating that they were among the many hoping for his strength and quick recovery in his fight against cancer.
‘Sending love to him and his family.’
However, Pelosi’s gesture was promptly questioned by the public due to her rumored fallout with Biden over thwarting his bid for re-election following a poor debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024.
One X user responded: ‘This is the same Nancy Pelosi who pushed him aside the second it was politically convenient. Now she’s sending love and prayers?
‘Nice words, Nancy. We see the play. Politics first. Always.’
Others also speculated that Biden’s cancer was known by insiders but was hidden from the public, with far-right commentator Valentina Gomez calling for Pelosi to be ‘charged with treason’ if she was part of a cover-up.
‘Will you now say the very best doctors in the US missed this for his entire presidency?’ another questioned.
Nancy Pelosi sparked backlash and ridicule after sending well wishes to Joe Biden following the former president’s cancer diagnosis
The Democrat took to X in the hours after it was revealed that Biden was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer to pay tribute to him as a ‘great American patriot’
Pelosi’s warm words for Biden followed a heartfelt statement from President Trump wishing Biden a ‘fast and successful recovery.’
But while the White House was empathetic, Donald Trump Jr appeared to break the political truce with a social media post just hours after the announcement.
He questioned if there was a ‘coverup’ by sharing a screengrab of a post from physician Dr. Steven Quay, who called prostate cancer ‘the easiest cancer to diagnose when it first starts and to watch it progress to bone metastases.’
It comes as top doctors have claimed it is ‘inconceivable’ that Biden would not have been diagnosed with his ‘aggressive’ form of cancer earlier.
Pelosi, pictured on Thursday, was met with backlash as people questioned whether she knew of Biden’s diagnosis before the public and pointed to her reported role in pushing him out of the White House
Pelosi’s warm words for Biden followed a heartfelt statement from President Trump wishing Biden a ‘fast and successful recovery’
The 82-year-old’s office announced the devastating diagnosis on Sunday, saying the cancer had spread to his bones and his family were reviewing treatment options.
His cancer was given a Gleason score of 9 and a Grade Group of 5, a dire stage of the rapidly-spreading disease. The highest Gleason score is 10, meaning Biden has a particularly aggressive form of cancer.
Biden’s diagnosis came days after doctors found a ‘small nodule’ on his prostate.
Experts noted that prostate cancer can be detected early with routine bloodwork that is common for men over 50.
‘It is inconceivable that this was not being followed before he left the Presidency,’ wrote Dr. Howie Forman, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, public health management and economics at Yale.
He noted that the test for prostate-specific antigen would have shown he had cancer ‘for some time before this diagnosis’, given how aggressive it is.
Biden’s office announced on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already spread to his bones
Donald Trump Jr. publicly questioned whether former First Lady Jill Biden covered up her husband’s cancer
In February 2024, when Biden was the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, his longtime physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor deemed him ‘fit to serve’ following a routine physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
But Dr Forman said this should be scrutinized because Biden ‘must have had a PSA test numerous times before’ and concluded the late-stage diagnosis is ‘odd.’
In a follow-up post, the doctor questioned whether Biden had been through screening in the last 12 years and if he ‘had a normal PSA prior to [age] 70?’
‘It’s just so odd to discover this with bone [metastasis] in a man of his stature and [with his] access to care,’ Forman concluded.
