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A 25-year-old man identified as the suspect in a deadly bombing at a Southern California fertility clinic was driven by an extreme anti-natalist ideology that opposed human reproduction, authorities said, highlighting a chilling motive that targeted the sanctity of life.

Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, California, was named by the FBI as the primary suspect in the Saturday explosion at the American Reproductive Centers in Palm Springs, which authorities are investigating as an intentional act of terrorism. The blast, which occurred just before 11 a.m., killed Bartkus, injured four others, and caused extensive damage to the clinic and surrounding businesses, though the facility’s embryo lab remained unharmed.

According to law enforcement sources, Bartkus subscribed to an anti-baby philosophy, believing it was unethical to bring new life into the world without consent. In a 30-minute audio recording posted online, Bartkus expressed anger over his own existence and condemned in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics for facilitating childbirth.

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“I’m angry that I exist, and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here,” he said in the recording, obtained by BNO News. He further criticized those who choose to have children, calling the decision “stupid.”

FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis, speaking at a Sunday news conference, described Bartkus’ views as “nihilistic ideations” and confirmed the attack was deliberately aimed at the IVF facility. “This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility,” Davis said, noting it was likely the largest bombing crime scene in Southern California history.

Bartkus attempted to livestream the explosion, setting up a camera on a tripod, but the footage failed to upload, sources told BNO News. Investigators also recovered two rifles—an AK-47 and an AR-style rifle—along with ammunition near the exploded vehicle, a 2010 silver Ford Fusion, according to an internal briefing obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Bartkus’ writings and online postings revealed a deep-seated opposition to population growth, aligning with fringe population control movements. A website linked to Bartkus called for a “war against pro-lifers” and outlined plans to target a fertility clinic, though a promised video of the attack was not uploaded, according to the Los Angeles Times. His father, Richard Bartkus, told The New York Times he believed the voice in the audio recording was his son’s, adding that Guy had previously set fire to the family home and was easily influenced by others.

The explosion shattered windows and scattered debris across several blocks, but Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic, expressed relief that no patients were present and all staff were safe.

The post Fertility Clinic Bomber Was a Population Control Activist appeared first on LifeNews.com.

A bill authored by Senator Lindsey Graham threatens additional tariffs if Moscow does not agree to a peace deal with Kiev

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a new sanctions bill targeting Russia if it does not make progress in ceasefire talks with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing European officials familiar with the matter.

The legislation has been authored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham – a longtime advocate of hardline policies against Moscow.

The US imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia under former President Joe Biden following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Trump has since signaled a willingness to restore bilateral contacts and possibly even lift the sanctions as part of a negotiated peace.

The Trump administration has said, however, that it would not pursue a peaceful resolution of the conflict indefinitely if no progress is made. 

According to Bloomberg, US officials have privately told their European counterparts that Trump may allow Graham’s bill to proceed if “Russia doesn’t budge,” and could deliver the warning to President Vladimir Putin during a scheduled call on Monday.

Graham, a prominent Russia hawk, has in the past called for Putin’s assassination, backed extensive military aid to Kiev, and stated that Russians dying in the Ukraine conflict is “the best money we’ve ever spent.” He has also praised Ukraine for fighting what he described as a proxy war on behalf of the US.

In April, he proposed a sanctions package that he said would be “devastating” for the Russian economy, including 500% tariffs on goods from countries that continue trading with Moscow. He claimed that the proposal has majority support in the Senate.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the possibility of additional sanctions on Moscow in an interview with CBS on Sunday, saying he conveyed this to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the day before, urging an immediate ceasefire. 

Russia has rejected calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, saying that while it is open to the idea, it is concerned that Ukraine would exploit the pause to rearm and continue its mobilization efforts. Moscow has instead insisted on negotiating a long-term resolution of the conflict that addresses the root causes.

The EU has also approved its 17th package of sanctions on Russia, attempting to use it as a means of pressuring the country into making concessions to Ukraine.

The Kremlin has described the West’s “language of ultimatums” as unacceptable. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that this rhetoric could result in “unsuccessful negotiations,” leading to a “more terrible stage of the war with new weapons and participants.”

The Question of the Day

Why Does the US Supreme Court give immigrant-invaders priority over American Citizens?

Biden’s Department of Justice (sic) politically persecuted January 6 protesters for years, with the Supreme Court taking forever to grant relief.

Yet Tren de Aragua illegal alien terrorists got a favorable ruling in 24 hours.

Aided and Abetted by Western governments every European Woman regardless of age will have been raped by immigrant-invaders by the end of this year.

Why haven’t these governments been dragged into the street and executed?

Why are Europeans preparing for war with Russia when their own governments are at war with them?

https://www.unz.com/article/rulers-and-rape-gangs-how-traitors-at-the-top-have-imported-and-incubated-non-white-evil/ 

Bucharest’s “electoral mess” shouldn’t even be called a presidential vote, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has said

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed allegations from Romania that Moscow interfered in the second round of the country’s presidential elections. In a statement on Monday, Zakharova pointed to the contentious nature of the vote in Romania, advising its officials to focus on “cleaning” their own reputation.

The diplomat was responding to claims by Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea, who alleged that there were “hallmarks of Russian interference” during the election.

On Sunday, pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan was elected president of Romania, defeating conservative and Euroskeptic rival George Simion, who has accused France and Moldova of attempting to undermine his campaign.

Zakharova questioned the legitimacy of Romania’s presidential vote, saying it should not be considered a proper election.

“You can’t interfere in something like that – only get entangled in it,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram. “They shouldn’t try to drag others into their electoral mess. They should clean it up themselves.”

The election followed the annulment of the previous vote, in which independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu had led in the first round with 23% of the vote. Romania’s Constitutional Court overturned the results, citing electoral irregularities and allegations of foreign interference, including claims of Russian involvement – accusations that Moscow has denied. Georgescu was subsequently barred from standing in the re-run.

Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), has publicly backed Georgescu and appeared alongside him at a polling station on Sunday. He had earlier condemned the annulment of the 2024 election results as a “coup d’état” and said that, if elected, he would consider appointing Georgescu as prime minister.

Simion, who opposes military aid to Kiev and has been barred from visiting Ukraine, decisively swept the first round on May 4, securing 40%, while Dan and former Senator Crin Antonescu each garnered around 20%.

Dan is known as a staunchly pro-EU and pro-NATO candidate, and has called Romania’s support for Ukraine vital for national security.

Ahead of the Sunday’s runoff, Simion accused the pro-EU government in neighboring Moldova of attempting to rig the vote. The two countries share close historical and cultural links, with about 30% of Moldovans holding dual citizenship.

He claimed on Facebook that the country’s voter rolls included 1.7 million fictitious names, alleging that many of them belong to people who are no longer alive.

Simion also alleged that voters were being bussed in from Moldova to cast ballots. He previously accused his opponent, Dan, of breaking the campaign silence rule by engaging in political activity on the eve of the vote.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said in a post on Sunday that Nicolas Lerner, head of French foreign intelligence, had personally urged him to censor conservative voices on the platform ahead of Romania’s presidential election rerun. The Russian-born entrepreneur said he refused the request.

This morning, markets are reacting to Moody's rating downgrade of U.S. debt. For those promoting egregious amounts of "bear porn," this is nirvana for fear-mongering headlines that gain clicks and views. However, as investors, we need to step back and examine the history of previous debt downgrades and their outcomes for both the stock and bond markets. Let's start with what the Moody's rating agency stated about its rating change.

"This one-notch downgrade on our 21-notch rating scale reflects the increase over more than a decade in government debt and interest payment ratios to levels that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns.”

Moody’s had been a holdout in keeping U.S. sovereign debt at the highest credit rating possible, and brings the 116-year-old agency into line with its rivals. Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. to AA+ from AAA in August 2011, and Fitch Ratings also cut the U.S. rating to AA+ from AAA in August 2023. We will review these previous downgrades momentarily. However, the reason for Moody's debt downgrade is unsurprising.

“Successive U.S. administrations and Congress have failed to agree on measures to reverse the trend of large annual fiscal deficits and growing interest costs. We do not believe that material multi-year reductions in mandatory spending and deficits will result from current fiscal proposals under consideration.”

It is that last sentence that is the most important. Since 2008, the U.S. has not passed a single budget. Instead, Congress has repeatedly opted for short-term funding bills, known as Continuing Resolutions (CRs), which raised the debt ceiling and increased spending by 8% annually. (The "Rule of 72" says that at that rate, spending will double every 9 years) Such is why the national debt, specifically the deficit, has continued to grow unabated. Such was a point we discussed in Why $32 Trillion Matters.

“While Washington continues a seemingly unbridled spending spree under the assumption “more spending” is better, debts and deficits matter. To better understand the impact of debt and deficits on economic growth, we must know where we came from. The chart shows the 10-year annualized growth rate of the economy over time.“

What should immediately jump out at you is that the 10-year average economic growth rate was around 8%, except for the Great Depression era, from 1900 through 1990. However, there has been a marked decline in economic growth since then. Unsurprisingly, as debts and deficits grow, the diversion of capital from productive activities to debt service erodes economic growth. That growth in debt is on a non-stop train to “Japanification,” where debt continues to rise, and economic growth is anemic. The Congressional Budget Office recently released its trajectory for U.S. debt levels through 2055, showing the same.

 (The debt is also why interest rates can not rise to higher levels, which is a topic of an upcoming article on why we continue to buy Treasury bonds.)

While a debt downgrade is notable, there are several things that investors must consider.

1. This is not the first time that U.S. debt has been downgraded. (We will review this momentarily.)
2. The debt downgrade does nothing to impair the reserve currency status of the U.S. dollar.
3. The U.S. Treasury remains the gold standard for "risk-free" investment for foreign and domestic savers.

However, most importantly, for investors, is the debt downgrade as ominous and bearish headlines suggest?

Let's review previous history and see how stock and bond markets reacted.

S&P Downgrades US Debt

“Credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s on Friday downgraded the United States’ credit rating, stripping the world’s largest economy of its prized AAA status.

In July, S&P placed the United States’ rating on “CreditWatch with negative implications” as the debt ceiling debate devolved into partisan bickering. To avoid a downgrade, S&P said the United States needed to raise the debt ceiling and develop a “credible” plan to tackle the nation’s long-term debt.

In its report Friday, S&P ruled that the U.S. fell short: “The downgrade reflects our opinion that the … plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government’s medium-term debt dynamics.”

S&P also cited dysfunctional policymaking in Washington as a factor in the downgrade. “The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed.” – CNN.Com

That action occurred on August 5th, 2011, as the Obama Administration faced Congress over the debt ceiling debate. Unsurprisingly, just as today, headlines were rampant with fearmongers ramping up the rhetoric about a dollar collapse, the economy’s demise, and the stock market’s collapse. While I am certainly not dismissing the issues with the debt buildup long-term, as noted in the linked article above, in the short term, history suggests there is much less to worry about in the near term.

Let’s take a look at 2011 for a moment in charts. The first chart below is the stock market. As you will note, much like the advance we witnessed over the last few months, the market had rallied sharply from the lows in 2010 and was pretty overbought at the time of the debt downgrade. While prices did correct due to a combination of the manufacturing shutdown in Japan, a slowing U.S. economy, and the debt downgrade, that decline was a buying opportunity as the bullish trend continued into 2012.

Likewise, in 2011, the yields on treasury debt also spiked higher temporarily as the debt downgrade shook investors. However, given that the U.S. treasury bond market remains the world’s preferred “safe haven,” yields declined into 2012. As is always the case, long-duration yields are a function of inflation and economic growth. The more debt issued, the slower the economic growth rate over time. Many “bond gurus” expect yields to spike sharply due to the need for debt issuance. However, the reality is that the economy can’t sustain higher rates because of the debt. What happened in 2011 will likely repeat itself in the months and quarters ahead as economic growth continues to slow.

What happened the second time?

Fitch Downgrades U.S. Debt

On Tuesday, August 1st, 2023, almost exactly 12 years later, Fitch downgraded the U.S. credit rating.

“Fitch Ratings has downgraded the United States of America’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’. The Rating Watch Negative was removed and a Stable Outlook assigned. The Country Ceiling has been affirmed at ‘AAA’.

What was Fitch's reasoning for the downgrade?

“The rating downgrade of the United States reflects the expected fiscal deterioration over the next three years, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance relative to ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ rated peers over the last two decades that has manifested in repeated debt limit standoffs and last-minute resolutions.”

Interestingly, the Treasury Department pushed back, saying the “analysis was flawed” in both cases.

“Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary, said she disagreed with Fitch’s downgrade, in a statement that called it “arbitrary and based on outdated data.” – The Guardian

As with S&P's debt downgrade, the reasons behind Fitch's action were almost identical. They focused on the Government’s inability to deal with long-term debt issues.

However, as Yellen noted, the analysis is flawed on many levels. Such was a point made by Jamie Dimon, CEO of J.P. Morgan:

“It doesn’t really matter that much” because it’s the market, not rating agencies, that determines borrowing costs. Still, it’s ridiculous that other countries have higher credit ratings than the U.S. when they depend on the stability created by the U.S. and its military. To have them be triple-A and not America is kind of ridiculous. It’s still the most prosperous nation on the planet, it’s the most secure nation on the planet.”

While the long-term implications are dire, the near-term impact on various assets is much less concerning.

“The U.S. can print money and avoid default no matter how bad its fiscal position is. Accordingly, U.S. Treasury debt will still be considered the world’s only risk-free asset regardless of its ratings. The table below shows the market reactions to the S&P downgrade in 2011. Unexpectedly, bond yields fell appreciably, and the dollar rose, despite the downgrade. One would have thought gold would be a beneficiary. It was initially, but its price was slightly lower a year later. Stocks troughed 8% lower within the first week of the downgrade but were on solid footing afterward. Like twelve years ago, the downgrade may provide opportunities contrary to what many expect.“ – Michael Lebowitz

Much like in 2011, the stock market initially sold off on the news, but it was most driven by a reversal of the "Artificial Intelligence Trade" that had gotten ahead of itself. The debt downgrade had much less to do with the correction than providing a catalyst to reverse the overbought conditions that existed at the time.

The bond market also sold off initially with higher yields, but this quickly reversed. While yields are currently elevated due to stronger economic growth rates, higher inflation, and tighter Fed policy, that condition will reverse as continued debt increases weigh on financial prosperity.

For evidence of such an outcome, we only have to look at Japan to understand the consequences of debt when it exceeds 100% of GDP. Since the 1980s, Japan’s economic trajectory has remained lower. Despite massive Government and central bank interventions, interest rates remain near zero percent as the economy experiences rolling recessions, plaguing overall prosperity. (As of the end of 2024, economic growth was barely positive with bond yields below 1%)

So the question facing investors is, should we care that Moody's downgraded the debt?

Moody's Downgrade - What It Means For Stocks & Bonds

With Moody's debt downgrade, media headlines are running wild with speculation about what it means. As we have seen in the previous two downgrades, it has not meant much. Almost 15 years after S&P's downgrade of the debt, the U.S. remains the world's reserve currency, gold vastly underperformed equities, and the economy didn't collapse under the weight of the debt. On the contrary, investors have been well rewarded betting against those outcomes.

However, is this time different? Most likely, the answer is "no." Therefore, what should investors expect from stocks and bonds over the next several months following Moody's downgrade?

Concerning the stock market, we went into the downgrade with stocks back in overbought territory after a significant advance from the "Liberation Day" lows. As shown, momentum and relative strength are overbought, especially momentum, with the market now two standard deviations above the 50-DMA. If you review the charts above, the market was in a very similar position during the previous announcements, leading to a short-term correction in equity prices. As is always the case, when markets aggressively advance, it often takes an external, unexpected event to bring sellers into the market. Such would also be unsurprising if that were the case this time. However, most likely, such will be an opportunity for investors to add equity exposure.

Likewise, while not as overbought as equities, yields have pushed higher into the announcement. As seen in the previous two downgrades, yields did go higher on the news, but eventually, the fundamentals that drive yields (economic growth, wages, and inflation) reversed yields lower.

As we noted this past week, this is particularly true as US bank regulators prepare to reduce bank capital requirements.

"Of particular interest to the bond market is the supplementary leverage ratio, better known as SLR. Unlike other risk-based capital rules that banks adhere to, SLR applies a minimum capital requirement to all bank balance sheet assets. The rule was put in place in 2014 to limit excessive leverage. (More from the Office of Financial Research.)

Banks have long argued that the SLR handcuffs their ability to make loans. Furthermore, and of importance to the administration, banks claim that SLR limits their ability to buy Treasury securities. The article states that intense lobbying from Wall Street argues that SLR hinders competition and impedes lending. Remember that the eight largest US banks are subject to enhanced SLR, which are the biggest buyers of US Treasury securities.

Many analysts suspect that the SLR will change by this summer. However, the pressure to change them sooner could arise if Treasury yields continue to rise. With Treasury yields approaching 5%, we suspect banks will be licking their chops to buy Treasuries once the SLR restrictions are eased."

Given the massive short position on U.S. Treasuries, bond buyers could see a significant drop in yields and a rise in bond prices, particularly if this coincides with the onset of a recession or Fed rate-cutting cycle.

Conclusion - Opportunity Likely Coming

It is crucial to remember that the US engages in deficit spending and issues debt in its currency, stimulating the economy and the private sector. As deficits increase, it adds net worth for households and corporations, which in turn end up as deposits at banks, which then see their reserves increase. Banks (the primary dealers) then swap these reserves for bonds at auctions, allowing the government to fund its deficits.

The Moody's downgrade is meaningless in the longer term, as commercial banks, pensions, foreign governments, banks (collateral for repo operations), etc., are all, and will remain, demand buyers for Treasuries.

As with Janet Yellen previously, Scott Bessent was correct when he stated:

“I think that Moody’s is a lagging indicator. I think that’s what everyone thinks of credit agencies. Just like Sean Duffy said with our air traffic control system, we didn’t get here in the past 100 days. It’s the Biden administration and the spending that we have seen over the past four years.”

He is correct. Moody's should have issued their downgrade when the deficit was running near $4 trillion following the pandemic shutdown, but issuing it after the deficit has been halved seems a little late.

From a portfolio management perspective, the debt downgrade does nothing to change our outlook. Investor demand and significant corporate share repurchases will likely continue to provide a bid under equities. However, we will not be surprised to see a pullback, which the media will quickly blame on Moody's debt downgrade. However, given the short-term overbought conditions, the downgrade was the catalyst to bring sellers into the market.

Are we concerned about the potential for a recession or some financial event? Of course. Given the aggressiveness of the Fed rate hikes and tightening of lending standards, such an event is certainly possible. Economic growth is slowing, as inflation is falling, which is evidence of a slowing consumer. However, the market will provide advanced notice if we continue to pay attention to our technical indicators.

For now, the longer-term bullish trend remains intact. A correction that holds support and works off some of the overbought conditions will be a healthy outcome. Such will provide better risk/reward opportunities to increase stock and bond exposure.

Technical and sentiment readings suggest the market has gotten ahead of itself, so investors should consider rebalancing portfolio risk accordingly.

1. Tighten up stop-loss levels to current support levels for each position.
2. Hedge portfolios against more significant market declines.
3. Take profits in positions that have been big winners.
4. Sell laggards and losers.
5. Raise cash and rebalance portfolios to target weightings.

Of all the things investors should worry about, the Moody's debt downgrade is not one of them.

The post Moody’s Debt Downgrade – Does It Matter? appeared first on RIA.

Concerns that the 49 second-hand Abrams will be an easy target for Russian drones, the report claims

Australia has announced it will ship 49 decommissioned US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after receiving approval from Washington. American and Australian officials have reportedly criticised the transfer and questioned whether Ukraine will be able to actually use the tanks, due to logistics issues and vulnerability to Russian drones.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Rome on Sunday that deliveries had begun. According to ABC, loading the tanks onto a cargo ship is in process, though location and itinerary information is classified.

While Washington eventually granted permission for the transfer, US officials have privately expressed “frustration” over the move, ABC reported.

“Last year, even before Donald Trump returned as president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield, the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain,” one unnamed US official told the network.

Australian defense officials echoed the concerns. “We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war,” an ABC source noted.

In late 2023, the US, under former President Joe Biden, supplied 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Media reports claim that the heavy armor, estimated to cost $10 million each, has faced challenges on the battlefield, including drone strikes and rough terrain.

Russia claims to have destroyed several Abrams tanks. In May 2024, it showcased a captured tank at a military exhibition in Moscow alongside troves of other Western equipment.

Moscow has denounced the Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they will only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome.

The Telegram founder has said election meddling can’t be stopped by interfering further in campaigns

Elon Musk has voiced support for fellow tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov after the Telegram founder said he had rejected a request from the French government to block conservative political content on the messaging platform.

Durov said Sunday that a Western European government had asked him to take down Romanian Telegram channels ahead of the country’s presidential runoff. He declined, arguing that, “you can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections.” Musk, the majority stake owner of the social media platform X, responded to Durov’s remarks with a brief post: “Hear, hear!”

Following Durov’s statement, French authorities acknowledged they were the subject of the claims but denied making any such request. In a follow-up post, Durov identified the official involved as Nicolas Lerner, director of France’s domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI.

The controversy came as Romanian voters headed to polling stations on Sunday. The Romanian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of interfering in the election, although it offered no supporting evidence.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked that the Romanian process could hardly be described as an election, and urged Bucharest not to soil foreign nations with its mess.

In 2024, Romania’s Constitutional Court overturned the result of a presidential election after right-wing independent Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round. Reports linked the pro-Georgescu social media campaign to a government-affiliated consultancy firm allegedly aiming to divide right-wing voters. The case was cited by US Vice President J.D. Vance in a February speech in Munich as an example of EU nations undermining democratic norms.

On Sunday, pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan defeated Euroskeptic George Simion in a runoff, securing the Romanian presidency by a single-digit margin.

The US president has joined a bipartisan outpouring of support for his predecessor

US President Donald Trump has extended well wishes to his predecessor and long-standing political rival, Joe Biden, following news of his aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis. The message came amid an outpouring of support from current and former political leaders across party lines.

On Sunday, the office of Biden, 82, said that a routine physical check led to the discovery of a nodule on his prostate. Tests confirmed an aggressive form of prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9, indicating high severity. However, doctors said the cancer is hormone-sensitive and manageable, with treatment options now under review by the Biden family and his physicians.

Trump took to Truth Social to extend his sympathy, writing: “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president for eight years, posted on X: “Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family. Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris described Biden as “a fighter,” adding: “he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership.”

On the other side of the aisle, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “the Johnson family will be joining the countless others who are praying for the former President in the wake of his diagnosis.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also offered his sympathies, saying he and his wife are “united in prayer for the Biden Family amid this difficult time.”

This is not Biden’s first cancer-related diagnosis. In 2023, doctors removed a basal cell carcinoma – a common and typically non-life-threatening form of skin cancer – from his chest during a routine skin screening. At the time, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said, “all cancerous tissue was successfully removed” and that no further treatment was required.