JD Vance, Mike Johnson React To Ben Sasse's 'Tough Note' That Reveals Stage-Four Cancer Diagnosis

Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said Tuesday he has been diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, telling supporters bluntly that he is "gonna die" but vowing not to stop fighting.

Sasse Shares Candid Diagnosis With Supporters

The 53-year-old conservative, long known as a rare Republican critic of President Donald Trump, revealed the diagnosis in a candid message on social media.

"This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I'll cut to the chase," Sasse wrote on X. "Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die." He said he is "now marching to the beat of a faster drummer" and stressed that "death and dying aren't the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived."

Former Senator And University Leader's Career

Sasse entered the Senate in 2015, won reelection in 2020 and often broke with Trump, including voting to convict him at his second impeachment trial after the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. As noted in an Associated Press report, he resigned in 2023 to become president of the University of Florida, then stepped down in 2024 after his wife, Melissa, was diagnosed with epilepsy.

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A historian with degrees from Harvard, St. John's College and Yale, Sasse also served as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush and as president of Midland University in Nebraska.

Well-Wishers React As Cancer Risks Highlighted

Messages of support quickly poured in from across the political spectrum. Vice President JD Vance and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) praised Sasse's candor, while Nebraska officials lauded his service and asked residents to keep his family in their prayers.

I'm very sorry to hear this Ben. May God bless you and your family.

— JD Vance (@JDVance) December 23, 2025

As someone who had severe encounters with mortality, I especially connect with your news and am deeply saddened by it.

I'm firmly in your corner, @BenSasse.

Me and the fam are thinking of you and yours. https://t.co/MgvXw6XnyX

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) December 23, 2025

So sorry to hear this news. The Johnson family is lifting you up in prayer and we trust the Lord will comfort you all. Thank you sharing this message and eternal perspective.
"For we are convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor…

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 23, 2025

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with roughly 67,000 new U.S. cases and about 51,000 deaths expected in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society, and survival rates for metastatic disease remain extremely low. Sasse said he is pinning hope on "jawdropping advances" in immunotherapy and other treatments as he spends time with his wife and their three children.

Photo Courtesy: Jo Panuwat D on Shutterstock.com

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