Former US president Joe Biden has made a surprise appearance at Trinity College Dublin.
His son, Hunter Biden, is attending an event in the college on Tuesday to receive a gold medal from the College Historical Society, known as The Hist, for his outstanding contribution to public discourse.
Biden (83) is sitting in the front row of the exam hall in Trinity College watching the presentation.
He entered the hall unannounced but when the crowd noticed the presence of the former US president, they reacted with enthusiastic applause.
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During his address, Biden Jnr became emotional while recounting a story of a family intervention as he struggled with addiction. The former president bowed his head during this segment of the address.
At the weekend, the Joe Biden that his health would prevent him from making as many public appearances to promote his forthcoming memoir as he had hoped.
Biden was diagnosed last year with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones. Biden underwent radiation therapy and surgery to remove skin cancer lesions, and his son Hunter Biden said in an interview over the summer that his condition was worsening and causing him pain.
Biden said he had started writing the memoir, ‘Promise Me, America’, which covers his years as president, when he received the diagnosis. He indicated afterward that he felt intense pressure to finish quickly as he battled the disease, saying he was “working like hell” with his publisher.
Now, he says his cancer will also affect his ability to promote the book.
“Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down,” Biden wrote in a post on Sunday on the social media platform X. “What that means is, unfortunately, I won’t be able to do as many conversations about my book as I’d hoped.”
He added, “My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I’ve responded to treatment.”
More to follow.
