Former Senator Discusses Cancer Diagnosis and Parenting Views in Podcast

A former U.S. senator described his December diagnosis of metastatic stage-four pancreatic cancer and said he is not afraid of death during a Ruthless Podcast interview released Tuesday morning. "Death sucks, but I'm not really scared," the former senator told the hosts.

The interview also covered his career path from management consulting and university leadership to election to the Senate in 2014 and resignation in 2023 to lead the University of Florida.

The former senator stressed the value of remaining rooted in Nebraska, noting family funeral plots in Arlington. He said his goal as a parent is for his children to know unconditional love and then respond with gratitude and service to others. A podcast co-host asked about raising self-directed children after reading an op-ed by the former senator's daughter.

The former senator replied that parents should set expectations for hard work while providing unconditional support.

The conversation turned to changes in Senate culture and technology. The former senator said colleagues often read social media comments on their press releases and described many of those comments as bots rather than constituents. The former senator added that he no longer pays attention to partisan online arguments.

A co-host said several former Senate colleagues had expressed appreciation for the former senator's recent public comments on his health. Since the diagnosis, the former senator has started the Not Dead Yet Podcast and previously wrote two books on parenting and civic life.