While Biden is known for his history of gaffes and misstatements, the clip sparked online debate over whether Biden’s remarks were an actual admission — or just another blunder.
His comment came during a visit to Brayton Point in Somerset, Massachusetts, where he marked the closure of a coal-fired power plant and praised federal investments in clean energy.
“That’s why I and so damn many other people I grew up (with) have cancer,” Biden said at the podium during his July 20, 2022 visit.
At the time, the White House quickly spun the statement as a reference to Biden’s previous bout of skin cancer, for which he received treatment prior to his presidency.
However, his comment came while discussing oil pollution in his home state of Delaware.