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Media Reacts to Biden Saying He Has Cancer

Here's Why President Biden Just Said He's Been Affected by Cancer

The White House is clarifying that President Joe Biden has a clean bill of health after he phrased his past experiences with skin cancer treatments as though he currently has cancer in his recent speech about climate and clean energy.

PEOPLE confirmed with the White House that the president was not announcing that he was diagnosed with cancer in his speech on Wednesday, pointing the outlet to a tweet explaining that Biden meant he'd been personally affected by cancer, as he had non-melanoma skin cancers removed before he was sworn in as president.

Does Joe Biden Have Cancer? President's History With Melanoma Explained

During a speech on Wednesday, President Joe Biden seemingly said he's had cancer. The comment, which was slightly muffled in footage, quickly resulted in a debate about the president's health.

"That's why I—and so damn many other people I grew up with—have cancer," Biden said while discussing the environmental issues Delaware faced when he grew up there. The remarks were made during a speech in Somerset, Massachusetts, in which Biden talked about climate change and the job potential that could be created by investing in clean energy.