A senior Department of Justice official ignited controversy Monday by suggesting Jill Biden could face criminal charges for alleged "elder abuse" over her role in concealing President Joe Biden's advanced cancer diagnosis.
Leo Terrell, a senior counselor to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, reposted a social media claim that the former first lady knew of her husband's health condition but encouraged him to continue his presidential campaign. "Elder Abuse! Criminal Charges??" Terrell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
His post followed widespread speculation within conservative circles that the former president's aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis had been hidden from the public, despite what several medical professionals have called unmistakable symptoms of late-stage disease.
"Somebody is not telling the facts," President Donald Trump said during remarks at the White House on Monday. He questioned whether Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was involved in Biden's care, adding, "I don't even know if they were involved... Maybe it was the same doctor. And somebody is not telling the facts."
Biden's diagnosis, announced Sunday, came as a surprise to the public and even some close allies. According to the statement, he has been diagnosed with a Gleason 9 prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone - one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Don Trump Jr. wrote in a separate post, "What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup???"
Vice President JD Vance also raised questions about the former president's capacity to serve during his term. Speaking aboard Air Force Two after a trip to the Vatican, Vance said, "We really do need to be honest about whether the former president was capable of doing the job."
He added, "That's not politics. That's not because I disagreed with him on policy. That's because I don't think that he was in good enough health."
The allegations against Jill Biden come as excerpts circulate from the upcoming book Original Sin, authored by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson, which outlines behind-the-scenes efforts by aides to mask signs of President Biden's cognitive and physical decline during his presidency.
Among the claims in the book is that White House staff considered concealing the extent of the president's deterioration to maintain the appearance of fitness for office. One source reportedly feared Biden might "require a wheelchair if reelected."
Terrell, who previously worked as a Fox News contributor before joining the Trump administration's DOJ, has maintained a controversial presence on social media despite his current federal role. In March, he retweeted a post quoting Trump as saying Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was "not Jewish anymore," accompanied by the line: "Trump has the ability to revoke someone's Jew card."
