Health, Transparency, and the Presidency: Why Constitutional Clarity Matters
- Rich Washburn
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The recent revelation of former President Joe Biden's advanced prostate cancer diagnosis is tragic and sobering news for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. Prostate cancer with metastasis is no small matter—Gleason Score 9, Grade Group 5 with bone involvement represents a very aggressive form of the disease. We pray for his health, healing, and peace for his family. But amid the understandable sympathy, there is also a constitutional issue that cannot—and must not—be ignored.
The Presidency Demands Transparency
According to Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the President “shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years,” but the framers gave us more than just a timeline—they gave us a system of checks and balances, with tools like the 25th Amendment to ensure the continuity of leadership in the face of incapacity. The Amendment outlines processes for transferring power when a president is unable to fulfill the duties of the office, whether temporarily or permanently.
In this case, Americans are right to ask: When did President Biden—or his team—first know about the symptoms or early findings of this disease? As Peter Doocy noted in his Fox News coverage, Biden’s health was publicly deemed sound just months before he left office. If this diagnosis was brewing for some time, why wasn’t the American public—the very people he was elected to serve—informed?
This isn’t just about one man’s diagnosis; it’s about presidential transparency, national security, and the public’s right to know.
A Pattern of Withholding?
This isn’t the first time health-related secrecy has surrounded a president. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s declining health in the 1940s and John F. Kennedy’s concealed Addison’s Disease are just two historic examples. But in the modern age—where information is expected in real time—there’s a growing demand for openness, especially from the highest office in the land.
In Biden’s case, this feels doubly poignant. As Vice President under President Obama, he championed the “Cancer Moonshot,” a high-profile initiative aimed at eradicating cancer. The irony is not lost here: a man once tasked with leading the fight against cancer is now facing one of its deadliest forms, and the information only came to light after he stepped away from the presidency.
The Real Accountability Crisis
We’re living in an era where elected leaders often act like monarchs—disclosing what they wish, shielding what they don’t, and expecting blind trust from the people. But our Founders gave us a republic, not a royal court. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 51: “In framing a government... you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.”
That obligation includes honesty about the President’s physical and mental capacity to govern.
Had this diagnosis been disclosed earlier, perhaps the 25th Amendment could have been explored with the gravity it deserves. Instead, Americans were told repeatedly that “President Biden is healthy and fit for duty.” In hindsight, was that true? Or was it convenient?
We the People Deserve Better
We pray for Joe Biden’s health. But as patriotic Americans who believe in the rule of law and the integrity of our Constitution, we must hold our leaders to a higher standard of transparency and accountability—especially in matters that directly impact national leadership.
Let this moment be a wake-up call—not just about cancer awareness, but about constitutional awareness. The presidency isn’t a personal platform—it’s a public trust. And in a republic governed by We the People, truth must always be stronger than image.
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