Joe Biden Fights Cancer With Dignity — Trump Jr Fights Decency With Wi-Fi
While the former president shows strength and grace in the face of metastatic cancer, Donald Trump Jr proves once again that empathy skipped a generation… possibly the whole family tree.
Well this is jolly depressing news. Joe Biden, a man who’s faced more personal tragedy than a Game of Thrones character, has just announced he’s battling aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer. The diagnosis is serious. It’s spread to his bones. And yet, like every dignified statesman before him, he responded with strength, humility and grace.
Which is more than can be said for the human compost heap that is Donald Trump Jr.
But I’ll get to that plank in a minute.
Now let me get one thing straight. Joe Biden is 82. He’s not out there base-jumping or wrestling grizzly bears, but he is a decent, compassionate, respectable bloke who has spent his life in public service. You might not have agreed with all his policies. You might think he sometimes confused Canada with a toaster. Fine. But to see the vile abuse hurled at him the moment he shared his diagnosis, from the dark crevices of social media where the anonymous trolls thrive… is genuinely stomach-churning.
It’s like seeing someone fall off a bicycle and instead of helping them up, a gang of sweaty teenagers shout, “Nice job, grandad!” before kicking him in the shin and cycling off with his sandwich.
The worst offender of course, was the failed human experiment otherwise known as Donald Trump Jr. Upon hearing Biden’s diagnosis, Junior leapt to his keyboard faster than he’s ever run toward responsibility and managed to post a conspiracy theory so stupid it made flat-earthers look like astrophysicists.
“How did Jill Biden not spot stage five cancer?” he wailed, like a toddler who’s just discovered that Santa isn’t real and also stole his crayons. Let’s ignore for a second, the fact that there is no such thing as “stage five” prostate cancer. This is the same man who thinks “PhD” stands for “Pizza Hut Delivery.” - (that took me ages!)
Honestly asking Jill Biden, a woman with a doctorate in education, to detect prostate cancer is like asking a pastry chef to service a jet engine. She teaches reading comprehension, Donald. She’s not roaming the house with an MRI scanner and a lab coat.
But really, should we be surprised? This is a man whose greatest achievement is somehow making both of his parents look like the responsible ones. He’s achieved less than a paper straw in a milkshake and still manages to act like he’s curing cancer with every tweet.
Joe Biden on the other hand, has devoted his life to public service, held the highest office in the land, lost a son to cancer, led a nation through chaos and launched a national “Cancer Moonshot” to help others survive. Trump Jr.’s biggest legacy? Being a walking advert for why you shouldn’t name your child after yourself if you’re already a bit of a tit.
So despite being diagnosed with stage four cancer, Joe Biden still responded with dignity. Not rage. Not finger-pointing. Just a heartfelt message thanking people for their support. The man’s just found out his body’s waging war on itself; and yet he’s still showing more humanity in one tweet than some people manage in an entire lifetime of overpriced motivational speaking tours.
Yes I’m surprised this wasn’t picked up earlier. He’s a former President for heaven’s sake, not a bloke waiting six hours at an NHS walk-in clinic with a mystery rash. But the fact it’s hormone-sensitive offers real hope. And having read the countless stories from others who’ve been through this, and are now very much alive… and probably gardening… I’m quietly confident Joe Biden will still be here for many years yet.
And if he fancies a spot in the next volume of The Cancer Survivors Club, Joe, give me a call. I’d be honoured.
As for Don Jr.? Well, here’s hoping he meets Mr Cancer one day, not because I wish it on him, but because perhaps then he’ll understand what empathy looks like. Until then, he’ll remain what he’s always been… the sort of man who’d shout “fake news” at a fire alarm while the building burns around him.
Joe, from one cancer survivor to another… good luck. You’ve got this!
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Chris Geiger, Author of The Cancer Survivors Club.
Daily Dose of Disbelief!
Bsky: @chrisgeiger.com
Bsky: @thecancersurvivorsclub.com
Bsky: @dailydoseofdisbelief.com
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