Smiling Joe Biden, 83, Hosts Ice Cream Social With College Students Amid Stage 4 Cancer Battle: Photos

Former President Joe Biden and Jill Biden hosted an ice cream social to welcome students back to the University of Delaware's Biden School. The event marked the start of the new academic year.

The former president, who is actively managing a battle with advanced prostate cancer, appeared to be in good spirits and spent time speaking and joking with the college coeds.

“With the school year getting underway, Jill and I were thrilled to welcome students back to the Biden School at the University of Delaware the best way we know how: with an ice cream social. I got to spend some time talking with these students, and I mean it when I say they’re our future leaders," the 83-year-old former POTUS posted on Instagram on Thursday, September 17. "I can’t wait to watch the impact they’re going to have. My conversations with them yesterday left me incredibly optimistic about America’s future. To all the students heading back to school: have a great year."

Commenters chimed in to note how well the former president looked, especially considering his 2025 diagnosis with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones.

“Wonderful to see President Joe out and enjoying life,” said one.

"We miss decency in every sense of the word," wrote another.

"Miss having a President that actually cared about this country and its people,” lamented another.

Fans playfully leaned into Joe's well-documented, lifelong love for ice cream, with dozens of comments asking variations of, "Is that chocolate chip?" or joking about him continuing his favorite tradition.

On September 8, Joe shared a major health update on social media for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, noting the radiation treatment he received "worked as intended" to help control the disease.

While medical experts said that metastatic prostate cancer is treatable but not curable, the politician remains very active.

In addition to the ice cream social, he is currently finishing his upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, which will be released on November 17, three days before his 84th birthday.

In that book, he writes about "the challenges we faced as a nation," detailing the major decisions he made during his time in the White House and explicitly explaining "why I made them.”

For the first time, Joe will pull back the curtain on his 2024 campaign. He said his memoir directly addresses "why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside."