CNN's Brian Stelter: Timing Of Cancer Disclosure 'Extraordinary'

A prominent CNN personality questioned the timing of Joe Biden's severe cancer diagnosis while promoting a colleague's new book.

 
Brian Stelter called the timing "extraordinary," noting it coincided with negative coverage of the 82-year-old former president's mental decline.

 
"The timing is just extraordinary," Stelter remarked during a discussion.

Extraordinary timing – according to his spokesman, Biden received this cancer diagnosis on Friday, the same day audio clips of his Robert Hur interview were all over the news pic.twitter.com/STJH7i7DUr

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 18, 2025

"Biden learned of his cancer diagnosis Friday, the same day Axios released excruciating audio excerpts from his 2023 interview with Robert Hur, where Biden struggled to recall basic personal details."

Stelter then shifted to promoting Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.

 
"You have the audio release as one factor in the timing," Stelter said, "and then this book, one of the biggest political books in years."

 
He noted that while Biden's diagnosis temporarily paused discussions about his mental decline, it would not end the debate.