The news of former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis has sent shockwaves across America.
Biden’s team announced Sunday that he’d been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already metastasized to the bone, adding his family would examine suitable treatment for the “management” of the disease.
The shocking news comes amid heightened scrutiny surrounding the Bidens potential coverup of former President Biden’s mental and physical decline while in office.
On Monday, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) accused the Biden White House of a “political cover up” and lashed out at Biden’s then-White House doctor, though not by name, and accused the physician of having failed to deliver “world class care” to Biden and engaging in a “cover up.”
Sad and unfortunate and I wish the former President the best in his treatment of this cancer. Care at the White House should be second to none. Unbelievable this was missed, but the truth is, his physician was more concerned about assisting with the political cover up than…
President Donald Trump posted a message to his Truth Social app on Sunday from himself and First Lady Melania Trump expressing their sympathy and well-wishes for Biden, after it was announced that the former president is battling very serious prostate cancer.
Trump Jr. likewise initially offered an expression of sympathy, by way of reposting a message on his account at X.
Sharing a screenshot that included the message “Politics aside, we wish [President Biden] a speedy recover,” Trump Jr. commented “Agreed 100%.”
In another post three hours later which also included a screenshot, Trump Jr. had a more critical take on the tragic news.
His screenshot showed a message on the nature of Biden’s particular cancer, and calling into question the timeline of when Democrats, or at least the White House, knew about it.
“What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup???” he said, with a sarcastic jab at former First Lady Jill Biden.
What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup??? pic.twitter.com/fSqtDmcX4p
The hosts of Fox & Friends were in disbelief Monday morning at Joe Biden’s advanced cancer diagnosis despite the “fantastic medical care” that he receives as a former president.
“These are the types of things you look for when you get older,” Kilmeade added. “And very curious to see and somewhat discouraging to think someone could have this type of medical attention and have this get to this point.”
Co-host Charles Hurt added: “Especially because it’s a fairly advanced form so much so that it has metastasized to a bone. And you would think that would give you a lot more time to catch it.”
Later in the show, the curvy couch welcomed Fox News medical expert Dr. Marc Siegel, who echoed their surprise.
“Really, really surprising that it’s this advanced at the time of diagnosis,” he said. “Now, you can miss prostate cancer but most of the time regular screening picks it up. A sitting president I would expect to have advanced screening should not be subject to debate what kind of screening.”
Photos from the opening of the new Delta Air Lines terminal in LaGuardia Airport in Queens, NY, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. (Chris Rank for Rank Studios) (Photos from the opening of the new Delta Air Lines terminal in LaGuardia Airport in Queens, NY, o
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for allegedly lying to Congress about his decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic while serving as governor, a source familiar with the probe confirmed to Fox News.
The New York Times first reported that the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington opened the inquiry into Cuomo about a month ago after senior officials in the DOJ demanded an indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams for corruption charges be dismissed.
Cuomo is running in the Democratic primary to serve as the next mayor of New York City, while Adams is seeking re-election as an independent candidate.
“We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple—something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against,” Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s spokesperson told Fox News. “Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political.”
Last year, Republican lawmakers questioned Cuomo about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Republicans subsequently recommended the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against him. They accused him of intentionally lying to Congress during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the excessive number of nursing home deaths.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) referred Cuomo to President Donald Trump’s Justice Department for criminal prosecution.
Cuomo, who was governor at the time, issued a March 2020 directive that initially barred nursing homes from refusing to accept patients who had tested positive for COVID-19. The directive was aimed at freeing up beds for overwhelmed hospitals.
More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were released from hospitals into nursing homes under the directive, which was later rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks. Cuomo has previously said that the directive was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance at the time.
A report released in March 2022 by the New York state comptroller found Cuomo’s Health Department “was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes” and it “understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%” during some points of the pandemic.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, Comer said, “to our knowledge, the Biden Administration ignored this referral despite clear facts and evidence.” He requested that Bondi review the referral and “take appropriate action.”
“Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York,” Comer said in a statement Monday. “This wasn’t a slip-up – it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes. Let’s be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The House Oversight Committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s actions and ensure he’s held to account.”
🚨 #BREAKING: DOJ has launched a criminal probe into Andrew Cuomo over his testimony on his COVID response
Cuomo perjured himself MULTIPLE TIMES, and HID RECORDS from the committee
He’s also responsible for the deaths of THOUSANDS of nursing home patients
(Nova York - EUA, 24/09/2019) Presidente da República, Jair Bolsonaro, durante encontro com o senhor Rudolph Giuliani, ex-prefeito da cidade de Nova York. .Foto: Alan Santos/PR
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has reportedly left the intensive care unit, according to his spokesperson, after being hospitalized with pneumonia.
Giuliani “will spend some time recovering before leaving the hospital,” spokesperson Ted Goodman said in a statement, adding: “The mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way.”
Giuliani had been hospitalized in critical condition earlier this week, his spokesperson said Sunday.
Dr. Maria Ryan told Fox News that Giuliani’s condition had deteriorated rapidly after he returned from a trip to Paris, with severe breathing issues forcing doctors to place him on a ventilator. At one point, his situation became so dire that a priest was called to administer last rites.
But by Tuesday, everything changed.
“He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him,” Ryan said. “And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better.”
Goodman said Giuliani was previously diagnosed with restrictive airway disease, which he said was a result of his proximity to the collapsed World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
“This condition adds complications to any respiratory illness, and the virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition,” Goodman said Monday.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump has selected Dr. Heidi Overton, a senior White House domestic policy adviser and physician, to lead the Food and Drug Administration as the agency confronts battles over vaccines, drug prices, food additives, and abortion medication.
Trump announced the nomination Wednesday, describing Overton as a trusted problem-solver who would accelerate medical innovation, lower prescription costs, and advance Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
Overton currently serves as deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she has helped formulate and promote several of the administration’s most consequential health initiatives.
BREAKING: President Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, to lead the Food and Drug Administration. https://t.co/fGVJ7TNQjt
If confirmed by the Senate, she would succeed Dr. Marty Makary, who left the agency in May after a turbulent tenure marked by internal disputes and disagreements over the direction of federal health policy.
Kyle Diamantas, who previously led the FDA’s Human Foods Program, is serving as acting commissioner.
A Physician With Deep White House Ties
Overton is a board-certified physician in public health and general preventive medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and a doctorate in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She previously trained as a general surgery resident at Johns Hopkins and advocated for greater price and quality transparency in health care.
During medical school, then-New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Overton to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents, where she held voting and fiduciary responsibility for the university and its health system.
Overton first entered the Trump White House as a fellow in 2019, working in the Office of American Innovation and on the Domestic Policy Council. Between Trump’s terms, she served as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute and helped lead its Center for a Healthy America.
Her biography from the conservative organization emphasizes her work on health-care transparency, fentanyl, public health and policies designed to give patients greater control over medical decisions.
The appointment would place a committed administration loyalist at the head of an agency that regulates products representing roughly one-fifth of American consumer spending.
Overton Helped Shape Trump’s Health Agenda
Overton has appeared alongside Trump during major health policy announcements, including the administration’s efforts to negotiate “most favored nation” agreements with drug companies. The policy seeks to tie American prescription prices to the lower prices paid in other developed countries.
She was also involved in Trump’s controversial effort to revise the childhood vaccination schedule and separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three individual shots.
Major medical organizations have generally supported the combined MMR vaccine, which has been used for decades and reduces the number of clinical visits and injections required for full immunization. Critics fear that splitting the vaccine could create delays and lower vaccination rates.
Overton’s role in the policy is likely to become a focus of her Senate confirmation hearing, particularly as lawmakers question how she would handle pressure from Kennedy and other administration figures skeptical of established federal vaccine recommendations.
Trump praised Overton as a “rockstar” who would advance medical cures, innovation and lower drug prices.
Kennedy also supports the nomination, giving Overton an important ally inside the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA.
Difficult Issues Await New Commissioner
The next FDA commissioner will inherit an unusually difficult collection of unfinished projects.
The agency continues to face pressure over its regulation of COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations, including questions about which populations should receive updated shots and what evidence manufacturers must provide.
Medication abortion will present another immediate test. Pro-life organizations want the FDA to impose tighter restrictions on mifepristone, including limits on prescriptions issued through telehealth and pills delivered through the mail.
Overton has previously used the term “teleabortion” when discussing remote access to abortion medication, drawing concern from abortion-rights organizations that expect her to revisit the drug’s rules.
The FDA must also determine how aggressively it will regulate ultraprocessed foods, chemical additives, and synthetic dyes. Those issues are central to Kennedy’s MAHA movement but can conflict with the deregulatory approach traditionally favored by Republican lawmakers and industry groups.
Other pending questions involve flavored electronic cigarettes, peptide treatments, psychedelics, antidepressant warnings, and efforts to shorten the approval process for new drugs.
Overton would therefore have to balance three competing forces: Trump’s desire for faster approvals and lower prices, Kennedy’s campaign against corporate influence in food and medicine, and Republican demands for reduced federal regulation.
Management Experience Likely to Draw Scrutiny
Overton’s supporters point to her medical education, policy background, and proximity to presidential decision-making. They argue that she understands Trump’s priorities and can coordinate more effectively with the White House than an outside nominee.
Critics are expected to focus on her limited experience running an organization comparable to the FDA.
The agency employs thousands of scientists, physicians, inspectors, lawyers, and regulatory specialists. It oversees prescription drugs, medical devices, vaccines, tobacco products, much of the nation’s food supply, and other consumer goods.
Axios reported before her selection that some health policy observers worried Overton’s nomination could unsettle FDA career employees and pharmaceutical investors, while other potential candidates possessed more direct executive management experience.
The criticism will likely feature prominently when she appears before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Makary, Overton’s predecessor and a former Johns Hopkins colleague, was confirmed in March 2025 by a 56-44 Senate vote. Overton will seek confirmation from a chamber still controlled by Republicans but divided over the administration’s vaccine policies.
Her nomination signals that Trump wants the FDA led by someone already embedded in his White House rather than an agency insider or pharmaceutical executive.
If the Senate agrees, Overton will take control of one of the federal government’s most powerful scientific agencies — and become responsible for turning the administration’s sprawling health agenda into enforceable policy.
Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard shared an encouraging update Thursday on her husband’s battle with a rare form of bone cancer, revealing that a major surgery to remove the tumor was successful.
Gabbard said her husband, Abraham Williams, recently underwent a nearly seven-hour operation after being diagnosed with sacral chordoma, an extremely rare cancer that forms in the bones of the spine and skull base.
“The surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue lasted almost seven hours and was successful,” Gabbard wrote in a post on X.
“He had a rough night and is in a lot of pain, but is finally home resting.”
The Trump administration official said the family is now focused on the recovery process.
“Now recovery begins. We’re so grateful for the outpouring of prayers and kind messages from all of you. Our hearts are full,” Gabbard added.
My husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare sacral chordoma. The surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue lasted almost seven hours and was successful. He had a rough night and is in a lot of pain but is finally home resting. Now recovery begins. We’re so grateful…
According to Mayo Clinic research, sacral chordoma is a rare, slow-growing bone cancer that most commonly develops along the spine. While considered slow-growing, the disease can be difficult to treat because of its location, and surgery is often the primary treatment option.
Before the procedure, Gabbard shared a heartfelt message thanking supporters for their prayers.
“We are humbled and so grateful to be surrounded by aloha during this really tough time,” she wrote.
The update comes just weeks after Gabbard announced she would step down from her position in the Trump administration to support her husband through the difficult battle ahead. (RELATED:Tulsi Gabbard Resigning As National Intelligence Director)
“My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” Gabbard wrote in May. “He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.”
President Donald Trump praised Gabbard following her resignation announcement, saying she had done “an incredible job” serving in his administration.
Vice President JD Vance also voiced support for the former Hawaii congresswoman.
“I’m sorry to see her go, but certainly understand that family comes first,” Vance said. “She and her husband Abraham will be in my prayers as they face this next challenge together, and she has my gratitude for being a great addition to the administration and a loyal confidante. Godspeed Tulsi!”
Gabbard’s final day in office is expected to be June 30.
The White House has also tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William J. “Bill” Pulte to assume Gabbard’s intelligence role following her departure.
Gabbard, a former Democrat congresswoman from Hawaii, became one of the most prominent political converts of the 2024 election cycle when she endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign and later joined his administration.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear escalated pressure on Sen. Mitch McConnell this week, demanding that the longtime Republican lawmaker publicly demonstrate that he remains capable of serving—or resign from office.
In a letter dated Monday and reported Tuesday, the Democratic governor called on McConnell to “directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky” and prove his capacity to continue representing the state.
Beshear’s ultimatum came one day after McConnell’s office released a new photograph of the 84-year-old senator alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, and confirmed that he remains in a rehabilitation facility more than six weeks after being hospitalized.
BREAKING:
A statement from the Office of the Attending Physician says Mitch McConnell "is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office."
“It has now been 43 days since news of your hospitalization,” Beshear wrote, according to Mediaite.
McConnell has missed 38 consecutive Senate votes since his hospitalization, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote.
The governor also sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and urged him to investigate McConnell’s ability to remain in office if the senator declines to speak publicly.
Beshear said he would press Thune to report his findings to the American people and begin the process of removing McConnell if an investigation determined that such action was warranted.
“All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency,” the governor added.
Beshear acknowledged McConnell’s right to medical privacy but argued that elected officials surrender a degree of that privacy when they accept responsibility for representing the public.
The Senate can expel one of its members only with a two-thirds vote. Such action is exceedingly rare: Only 15 senators have been expelled since 1789, with 14 of those removals occurring during the Civil War, according to the Senate Historical Office.
Beshear’s letter represents his second formal request for more information about McConnell’s condition. On July 8, the governor asked the senator to provide Kentuckians with a full health update and clarify whether he remained capable of fulfilling his duties.
McConnell was hospitalized June 14 after suffering a fall at his Washington, D.C., residence that left him briefly unconscious. In a July 12 written statement, the senator said doctors had ruled out a heart attack, stroke, concussion, broken bones, tumors and hemorrhaging. He also disclosed that he had developed a mild case of pneumonia while receiving treatment.
McConnell was eventually transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility, where he has been undergoing multiple physical-therapy sessions each day.
His office released its latest update Monday, accompanied by a photograph that it said was taken July 26 and showed McConnell sitting beside Chao.
The Office of the Attending Physician said McConnell has not been medically cleared to leave the facility and return to his Senate office. Doctors said the lingering effects of the senator’s childhood battle with polio remain a significant factor affecting his mobility.
McConnell said he was still “working hard” to resume his schedule but announced that he would miss Kentucky’s Fancy Farm picnic Saturday. The annual political gathering is a major tradition in the state and one McConnell first attended 42 years ago.
“As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” McConnell said in the official update.
A spokesman previously said McConnell continued meeting with staff and discussing defense appropriations, foreign policy, the farm bill, constituent services and federal grant requests during his recovery. Republican leaders, including Thune and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, have also said they spoke with McConnell by telephone.
The senator has not, however, participated in a live video interview or addressed Kentuckians directly since his hospitalization, leaving Beshear and other critics dissatisfied with the written statements and photographs released by his office.
McConnell has experienced several highly publicized health scares in recent years, including falls, two on-camera freezing episodes in 2023 and an intensive-care hospitalization earlier this year for flu-like symptoms.
The seven-term senator has already announced that he will not seek reelection and plans to leave office when his current term expires in January 2027. If the seat becomes vacant before then, Kentucky law calls for a special election to fill the remainder of the term.
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed concerns over President Donald Trump’s health during a briefing on Thursday after photographs of his hand appearing bruised and his ankles appearing swollen went viral.
Why is Donald Trump covering bruises on his hands with cake makeup and why isn’t anyone in the press asking him about it? pic.twitter.com/Bk9Ve0rqhH
“I know that many in the media have been speculating about bruising on the president’s hand, and also swelling in the president’s legs. So in the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today,” began Leavitt before reading from the note:
In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. In keeping with routine medical care and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House Medical Unit. The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies. Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.
Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. Laboratory testing included a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, coagulation profile, D-dimer, B-type, natriotic, peptide, and cardiac biomarkers. All results were within normal limits. An echocardiogram was also performed, and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function. No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified.
Additionally, recent photos of the president have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand. This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking, and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, and the president remains in excellent health.
“Which I think all of you witness on a daily basis here,” added Leavitt. “So the president wanted me to share that note with all of you. I’m happy to take further questions on it. We will provide the memorandum from the president’s physician to all of you, as we always do.
Watch:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, following reports of swelling in the President's legs, per Karoline Leavitt
Luckily, it's nothing serious.
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE HANDLED. NOT covered up like Joe Biden's illnesses!
An adviser to President-elect Trump’s campaign, Alex Bruesewitz, passed out and collapsed as he was speaking onstage during a New York Young Republican Club gala Sunday night.
Alex Bruesewitz, 27, was introducing incoming White House senior aide Dan Scavino inside a venue in Manhattan when he began stumbling over his words and fainted, video on social media shows.
Several people quickly rushed to help after his collapse. It was not immediately clear what caused him to faint.
“I talked to our friend Alex Bruesewitz and you know what he said to me? He goes ‘Did I at least look cool?’ I said Alex, you used gravity like I’ve seen nobody use gravity before in their lives,” Kassam said. “But he’s recuperating back there, so give him a big cheer so he’ll hear you.”
Trump also said following the collapse that he believes Bruesewitz will be fine, according to the New York Post.
“I know that Alex is going to be fine because he’s a tough son of a gun,” Trump said. “There’s no doubt about that. So I want to say hello to Alex, because he’s a very special guy.”
Bruesewitz is the CEO of consultancy firm X Strategies LLC, which states its mission to help elect “America First” candidates. Its website says he is “a prominent political consultant and strategist known for his unwavering support of President Donald Trump and the America First agenda.”
Before his collapse, Bruesewitz commended the New York Republican Club for backing Trump’s campaign. He also gave shout-outs to several supporters of the incoming president who were at the event, including former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who recently resigned from his U.S. House seat.
Lee made the remarks when asked about McConnell’s prolonged absence from the Senate, saying rank-and-file lawmakers have received few details beyond the limited public statements released by McConnell’s office.
‘Most Of Us Don’t Know’
Lee acknowledged that speculation has grown because so little official information has been released.
His comments contrast with earlier remarks from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who previously said McConnell “sounded good” during a recent conversation. Lee indicated that most senators have not received similar updates and remain largely in the dark about their colleague’s condition.
Office Continues To Release Limited Information
McConnell’s office has consistently maintained that the 84-year-old senator is recovering and remains engaged with Senate business.
In its latest public statement, spokesman David Popp said McConnell “continues to improve” and is working with staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while Congress is in recess. The office has not disclosed his diagnosis, prognosis, or expected discharge date.
Medical Emergency Prompted Questions
McConnell has not appeared publicly since June 14, when emergency responders were dispatched to his Washington residence.
Emergency dispatch audio reviewed by multiple news organizations described an unconscious patient and referenced CPR in progress. McConnell’s office has not confirmed the specific medical event that led to his hospitalization.
The absence of detailed updates has fueled intense online speculation, including unverified claims promoted by White House confidant Laura Loomer. McConnell’s office has offered no support for those assertions, saying only that the senator continues to improve.
Questions Persist As Senate Recess Continues
The Senate remains in recess until later this month, giving McConnell additional time to recover before lawmakers return to Washington.
Whether he will be able to resume his duties when the Senate reconvenes remains unclear. McConnell previously announced he will not seek reelection and plans to retire when his current term expires in January 2027.
For now, Lee’s comments highlight what many senators have acknowledged privately: beyond the brief statements released by McConnell’s aides, even many of his Republican colleagues say they know little about his current condition.
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard shared an emotional but hopeful update on her husband’s battle with an extraordinarily rare form of bone cancer, revealing that doctors believe they successfully removed all cancerous tissue during surgery.
In a three-minute video posted to X, Gabbard opened up about the grueling operation and difficult recovery her husband, Abraham Williams, has endured since being diagnosed with sacral chordoma earlier this year.
Earlier this year, my husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare bone cancer. This has been a challenging time for us and is hard to talk about. But so many of you have reached out asking how he’s doing, and sharing your prayers and well wishes with us. We made this video… pic.twitter.com/kcVfzJyncI
“A few weeks after the surgery was done, the pathologist and the doctors said that they are confident that they were able to cut out all of the cancerous bone and tissue,” Gabbard said, according to Fox News.
Nearly three months after the operation, Williams is now participating in what Gabbard described as a “very rigorous physical therapy program.”
“He gets frustrated a lot because he wants to be able to make progress faster, and sometimes he’s pushed a little bit too far, but overall, Abraham is progressing very well,” she said.
Still, Gabbard cautioned that the couple’s ordeal is far from finished.
“The reality is that the battle isn’t over yet,” she said.
Williams will require frequent MRI scans to monitor whether the cancer returns in the same location or spreads elsewhere.
Sacral chordoma is a slow-growing cancer that forms near the base of the spine. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately one in every million people worldwide is diagnosed with chordoma each year. Surgery is the preferred treatment when possible, but removing the entire tumor can be difficult because of its proximity to nerves, blood vessels and other critical tissue.
Gabbard said Williams was given a choice between radiation and an invasive operation requiring surgeons to remove part of his sacrum and tailbone. The couple opted for surgery.
The nearly eight-hour procedure was successful, but the immediate aftermath was harrowing.
As Williams emerged from heavy anesthesia, his body reacted severely to the drugs. Gabbard recalled that he repeatedly insisted on trying to walk—with the assistance of nurses—even as he became sick.
“He would take a few steps. He would throw up as he was trying to walk around, but he kept going,” she said.
Williams also declined narcotic pain medication, forcing him to push through the intense postoperative pain with other forms of treatment, Gabbard said.
The diagnosis prompted Gabbard to resign from President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in May so she could support her husband throughout his treatment. Her departure became effective June 30.
“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard wrote in her resignation letter.
In Thursday’s video, Gabbard thanked God, Williams’ medical team and the countless people who sent prayers and well wishes during the family’s ordeal.
“We are so grateful to God for His unconditional love, for being our shelter, for being our peace and our strength,” she said.
The deeply personal message ended with Williams stepping into view and wrapping his wife in a tight embrace.
