Monday’s (May 19) live episode of The View started with an extended first segment in which the cohosts — Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin — talked about the news that former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and the conversation became quite emotional.

Biden, who was a guest on the show just days ago, confirmed his diagnosis with a social media statement that read, “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

“We all wish you a very rapid recovery, and we’re thinking of you and of your family during this diagnosis,” Goldberg said to start, adding that she’s been surprised by the messages of support Biden has received from across the aisle. “It was surprising to see some of the people who wished them well, and it made me feel better.”

Hostin spoke next and said, “I think it was what he said, ‘Cancer touches us all,’ when he posted this on social media, is so true. I’m sure that every single person in this audience and at this table, know someone who has had cancer, is a survivor of cancer, or has died from cancer. One of my best friends died from breast cancer and colon cancer, and so I think that the majority of us families will feel for the Bidens.” Hostin then added, “I don’t think this is time for politics, but what I will say is that this administration has cut cancer funding research by 31% since 2025. The U.S., for being such a wealthy country, seems to be cutting cancer research, not only for our elderly, our men, but also our children. And I think that’s so despicable and so disdainful, and I hope perhaps something good comes from this diagnosis, that we will continue funding cancer research because it’s very, very important.”

Griffin was the next to speak up on the issue and said, “I think I speak for all of us when I say our heartfelt prayers are with the Bidens. I honestly cried when I saw the news yesterday. He feels close to us because he was just here, and we wish him nothing but just hopefully a speedy recovery.” She went on to note how personal Biden’s political efforts to promote cancer research were, saying, “Few people have done more to invest in cancer than Joe Biden with his cancer moonshot after he lost his son Beau Biden, so I really hope some of the same treatments he helped promote may help him.” However, she also questioned why his cancer wasn’t detected sooner. “Obama did, at 50, the prostate exam; Trump reportedly did in 2024; at 78, Biden hadn’t, and I guess some doctors don’t recommend you do in your 70s. We need to revisit that because if they have caught this sooner, he might be with us a lot longer.”

Navarro said that, since her husband is a survivor of prostate cancer, she’s deeply familiar with the disease and said, “After the age of 70, some medical organizations, most medical organizations, do not recommend that men get PSA. I think when you have to be your best advocate, if you are over 70, and they’re telling you no PSA…. make it a point.”

Navarro then went on to deliver an emotional reaction to the news saying, “For me, this was sad. I love Joe Biden unabashedly. It was sad because when he was here, he was telling us about his next chapter and the things that he was going to be working on. He was working on a memoir, excited to be spending time with his kids and his grandkids, going out to America and speaking. And so right now, his priority is going to have to be his health and his treatment, but also the Joe Biden we know is a man who has been very open about his challenges in life. He didn’t need to tell us that he had a Gleason score of nine, stage 4 prostate cancer. He’s a private citizen now. I think he’s doing this to remind everybody that we can all be touched by cancer and that we need to be our advocate. He told us when he was suffering from depression after the car crash that took the life of his first wife and his baby daughter, he told us what it’s like to be the parent of somebody struggling with addiction, they took us through the journey of both cancer and Beau’s death. So every challenge that Joe Biden and Jill Biden have faced in their life, they have taken the American people along to help us when we face the same challenges. And the Joe Biden I know, is an eternal congenital optimist, that’s what he calls himself.”

She then played a clip of Biden in a speech saying, “I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up,” and Navarro added, “Get back up, Joe, we’re rooting for you.”

Haines was the next to speak and she too revealed a personal history of seeing prostate cancer’s toll, as her grandfather suffered from it, and her father and uncles were also diagnosed with it. She went on to say that she was saddened by the news of Biden’s diagnosis because, “When President Biden was here, and this is something I said early on, when people have served for so long, let them live, I said to him, ‘President Biden, one thing I hope for you is that you can have a glass of wine and watch a sunset like people that have served for so long. I want you to enjoy some time when you’re not serving everyone else, you’re just serving yourself.’” … I just hope that there’s still time for him to have that glass of wine.”

Goldberg concluded the segment by addressing potential conspiracy theories that might arise about Biden’s health while in office, saying, “What they’re saying is there are three ways they can treat it. His age will have a lot to do with how they do it, but I want to point out to people that, had this been the case while he was president, there’s no way you wouldn’t have known, right? Because he would have had to have these treatments. So this is not something he was carrying around, that he was hiding. And as Ana said, we know about his struggles, and now we know about this one. And I just again, want to commend the people who cut their tongues off and said, ‘Get well soon.’”

“Those who didn’t cut their tongues off, I have a place where they can put them,” Navarro joked in response.

JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH AGGRESSIVE CANCER: ‘The View’ co-hosts react to the former president’s diagnosis that has led to an outpouring of bipartisan support and concerns over his condition. pic.twitter.com/IQd9RmIk8a

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