Former U.S. President Joe Biden, appearing with a bandage on his head, addressed Nebraska Democrats on Friday, November 8, expressing that his late son Beau Biden “should have been president, not me.”
Speaking at the Nebraska Democratic Party’s Ben Nelson Gala, Biden delivered an emotional and fiery speech that combined personal reflection with sharp criticism of President Donald Trump.
Biden connected his remarks to Beau’s death from brain cancer in 2015, accusing the current administration of cutting federal funding for cancer research.
“Folks, I know what cancer research means,” Biden said. “Cancer hits every family. It’s hit my family hard.”
Reflecting on his son’s military service, Biden recalled:
“When the love of my life, my oldest son—the attorney general of Delaware, who should’ve been president, not me—volunteered to go to Iraq for a year, he didn’t have to. He came back with stage four glioblastoma because he lived in a burn pit just like those guys did on 9/11, and he died.”
The former president, who revealed a stage four prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this year, also spoke about his own health challenges. He praised advancements in medical science, adding:
“Thank God for the doctors, nurses, and the incredible breakthroughs we’re making in cancer research.”
Biden then turned his focus back to policy, accusing Trump and Republicans of cutting healthcare funding while giving “tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.”
“Trump and his Republican friends are cutting government funding for health care, making it more expensive,” Biden charged.
Observers noted a fresh bandage on the top-left side of Biden’s head. The cause was not immediately clear, though in August, he underwent Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer, after which he was seen with a bandage on a different area.
Growing visibly emotional, Biden criticized Trump for the ongoing government shutdown, urging him to act:
“Trump better get the damn government open. We have a president who is deliberately making hunger worse for Americans,” he said, citing the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “In the United States of America, one in five children go to bed hungry every night.”
When the audience booed, Biden responded:
“No, no—it’s more than ‘boo’ … it’s a disgrace!”
Biden wrapped up his speech on a note of optimism, celebrating recent Democratic victories in several state elections.
“The Democratic Party is back—not hyperbole,” he declared. “Voters in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, New York, Georgia, and Mississippi are sending a message to Trump and his crowd.”
