Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse provided an update on his battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, reporting that his tumors have shrunk by over 80% while undergoing a clinical trial. In a pre-recorded interview for the Western Conservative Summit, Sasse shared his health progress and voiced concerns about the future challenges facing the United States.
Sasse, 54, was diagnosed in December 2025 with metastatic pancreatic cancer that had spread to multiple organs. He was initially given a prognosis of three to four months to live but began a clinical trial for daraxonrasib, an oral therapy targeting a defective gene. "My tumors have shrunk by over 80% in the six and a half months I've been on this drug," Sasse stated, crediting the medication and his faith for extending his time. "We're a couple days away from being seven months since my diagnosis at three to four months to live."
Global Competition and Education
Beyond his personal health, Sasse expressed significant concern for America's trajectory. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to outcompete China, stating a preference for a U.S.-led world characterized by free trade, rule of law, transparency, and acknowledgment of human rights over a world led by China's "tyrannical, Maoist" system.
Sasse also criticized the state of American education, calling the current systems a "complete disaster." He pointed to recent reports indicating low proficiency levels in reading and math among eighth graders. Sasse argued that increased government spending has not improved educational outcomes and that academic benchmarks are too low, suggesting that most students have more potential than the current system allows.
The AI Revolution
Furthermore, Sasse highlighted the impending impact of artificial intelligence. He suggested that the rise of AI will fundamentally change what schools teach and will "externalize a lot of IQ." Sasse believes the U.S. is entering an AI revolution that will disrupt work, education, and global power dynamics. He posited that future generations, looking back a century from now, will focus more on this technological revolution than on contemporary politics.