Former Senator and University of Florida President Ben Sasse Announces He Has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, Says ‘I’m Gonna Die’

Former U.S. Sen. and former University of Florida president Ben Sasse said Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with metastasized stage 4 pancreatic cancer, calling the disease terminal.

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In a post on X, Sasse, 53, wrote that advanced pancreatic cancer is a “death sentence,” adding that while his diagnosis is recent, mortality is something everyone ultimately faces. He said he is surrounded by close family members and longtime friends as he confronts the illness.

Sasse represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 2015 to 2023. He later resigned from the Senate to become the 13th president of the University of Florida, a role he left last year to focus on his family after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy.

During his tenure as university president, Sasse was outspoken in his support for Israel and publicly backed Jewish students amid campus protests related to the war in Gaza. He repeatedly condemned antisemitism and said Jewish students must feel safe and supported on campus.

In the Senate, Sasse was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Donald Trump during Trump’s second impeachment trial stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. His criticism of Trump often drew sharp public rebukes from the president.