Trump DOJ lawyer suggests Jill Biden could face ‘elder abuse’ charges amid cancer cover-up claims

A senior Justice Department official appointed under US President Donald Trump has publicly suggested that Jill Biden could face criminal charges for “elder abuse,” alleging she helped cover up the severity of Joe Biden’s health decline following his aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis.

Leo Terrell, a former Fox News contributor now serving as senior counsel in the DOJ’s civil rights division, took to social media to amplify claims that Jill Biden was aware of her husband’s health problems but still encouraged him to run for president.

Sharing a post that read, “She knew about President Biden’s health problems. But still wanted him to run for President. Evil,” Terrell added, “Elder Abuse! Criminal Charges??”

The suggestion comes amid a wave of speculation from conservative figures and MAGA supporters that the 82-year-old former president’s cancer, and possibly his cognitive decline, had been concealed by his inner circle, including his wife.

Several doctors have weighed in, with one suggesting the disease may have gone undetected for up to a decade.

Mr Terrell also re-posted several supportive messages, including one stating, “Elder abuse is a form of domestic violence and Dr Biden has a lot of explaining to do about her part in defrauding the American people and taxpayers.”

Another supporter wrote, “I would never wish Joe Biden physical harm despite my personal political views, too bad his own family compromised his wellbeing.”

Mr Trump himself, after initially wishing Biden well, later suggested to reporters at the White House that “the full facts around Biden’s health had been purposely withheld.”

He said, “I think people should try and find out what happened because I’ll tell you, I don’t know if it had anything to do with the hospital. Walter Reed is really good. They’re some of the best doctors I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know if they were involved. But a doctor was involved in each case. Maybe it was the same doctor. And somebody is not telling the facts. That’s a big problem.”

Donald Trump Jr. also joined the criticism, questioning on X how Jill Biden could have missed “stage five metastatic cancer” and implying a cover-up by the Biden family.

In response to the mounting speculation, Biden’s office issued a statement on Tuesday clarifying that Joe Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer before last week.

“President Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014,” a spokesperson said, adding, “Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

The spokesperson explained that Biden’s recent diagnosis came only after a nodule was found on the gland a few days earlier.

Medical experts interviewed by AFP noted that late identification of advanced prostate cancer is not unheard of, even for someone receiving top-tier medical care. They also pointed out that annual PSA (prostate specific antigen) screening after age 70 is not universally recommended in the United States, and Biden’s last test was at age 71 or 72.

The claims have fuelled a broader narrative among Trump allies that the Biden family and close advisers may have intentionally misled the public about the former president’s health.