Joe Biden
Joe Biden delivers remarks on climate change and clean energy at Brayton Point Power Station on July 20, 2022 in Somerset, Massachusetts. Image Credit: AFP

Somerset, Massachusetts: US President Joe Biden sparked speculation about his health during a speech about global warming where he said, "That's why I and so damn many other people I grew up with have cancer and why for the longest time Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation."

Biden was in Somerset, Massachusetts visiting the former coal-fired Brayton Point power plant, to announce new actions on climate change.

White House clarifies his cancer comments

White House quickly clarified that he was referring to skin cancer treatment that he had before taking office last year.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates referred The Post to a tweet from Washington Post columnist Glenn Kessler, who noted that Biden had “non-melanoma skin cancers” removed before he took office.

It’s unclear why Biden chose to use the present verb tense to describe his experience with cancer.