Biden Calls Himself ‘Mentally Incompetent’ in Bizarre Return to Public Stage

In his first public appearance since revealing he has metastatic prostate cancer, former President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Friday with a shocking attempt at humor — declaring to reporters, “You can see that I’m mentally incompetent and I can’t walk.”

The 82-year-old’s strange remark came during a short Q&A after a Memorial Day ceremony in Delaware. Without warning, he pivoted from solemn tributes to trash talk, referencing two journalists by name and claiming he could “beat the hell out of both of them.”

The offhand comment appeared to target Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, authors of Original Sin, a bombshell exposé detailing Biden’s alleged mental decline, the Democratic cover-up, and his chaotic decision to run again in 2024 — a bid he later abandoned after a disastrous debate performance.

Despite the gravity of his health condition, Biden kept the tone oddly light.

“I don’t have any regrets,” he said about running for re-election. “It’s just a pill I take for six weeks. We’re going to beat this.”

Biden added that while the cancer has spread, “It’s not in any organ, my bones are strong … so I’m feeling good.”

But critics weren’t laughing. The spectacle of a former commander-in-chief cracking jokes about mental incompetence and threatening journalists while battling cancer raised questions about the former president’s grasp on reality — and the seriousness with which his inner circle is treating his condition.

Tarnished Legacy, Tone-Deaf Delivery

The former president spoke from Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle, near his Delaware home, to mark the 10-year anniversary of his son Beau Biden’s death from brain cancer. What should have been a moment of dignity quickly veered into political theater.

“American democracy has endured for nearly 250 years,” Biden declared. “Every generation has to fight to maintain it.”

But for many listening, his return to form wasn’t reassuring — it was alarming. The man who once branded President Trump a “fascist” and called conservative voters “garbage” failed to show any introspection about his own role in America’s political division.

“Our politics have become so divided and so bitter,” Biden lamented. “I never thought we’d get to this point.”

He offered no apology, no acknowledgment of the inflammatory rhetoric he used throughout his campaign. Instead, he doubled down on familiar slogans and idealistic platitudes.

“We’re the only nation founded on an idea,” he said. “We hold these truths to be self-evident … That’s who we are.”

Unsteady Future for Democrats

Since stepping aside last summer, Biden’s health has increasingly become a backdrop to the Democratic Party’s leadership vacuum. His public exit from the race came only after weeks of concern about his cognitive ability and physical stamina — concerns now compounded by a cancer diagnosis.

Still, Biden showed no indication he’s done weighing in on the political battlefield.

“I get really angry when I hear people say veterans are asking for too much,” he said at one point — though he offered no details, and it was unclear who he was attacking.

The White House has stayed relatively quiet since Biden’s diagnosis was announced, and Friday’s appearance was closely watched for signs of further decline. Though Biden appeared physically steady, the event added fuel to longstanding questions about his fitness — and the party’s future.

His quip about being “mentally incompetent” was perhaps meant as self-deprecating humor. But for millions of Americans already doubtful of his mental acuity, it sounded like a rare moment of honesty.

“You can see that I’m mentally incompetent and I can’t walk — and I can beat the hell out of both of them.” – Joe Biden, May 30, 2025

Whether meant as a joke or not, Biden’s words — and his legacy — are sure to echo into 2026.