A few days before Christmas, I heard some extremely sad news.

Former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who just turned 54 on Feb. 22, announced he was dying.

“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die,” Sasse wrote on X, in a Dec. 23 post that has been seen more than 23 million times. 

“Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too ‒ we all do.”

He’s right. We all do. Yet, I’m sure I’m far from alone in knowing too many people, even in their 30s and 40s, who have succumbed to a cancer diagnosis.

It’s tragic for his wife and three children. 

It’s also tragic for the country. 

While Sasse had already left the U.S. Senate early to take the head post at the University of Florida in 2023 (which he resigned in 2024, following his wife’s health struggles), his horrible news also made me think about how we need more statesmen like him – someone I’ve respected for a long time – to lead our country. 

Even though he’s dying, Sasse is using the time remaining to show what leadership looks like and what it means to lead an honorable and meaningful life – a true contrast to so many of our current elected politicians. 

'Resist the weirdo-ification of politics,' Sasse says 

Sasse, despite the aggressive treatment he’s undergoing in an attempt to slow the deadly cancer, isn’t hiding away at home. 

He’s still tapping into his intelligence and good humor. For instance, he has started a podcast called “Not Dead Yet,” through the American Enterprise Institute. 

And he’s still writing and doing interviews. 

One conversation that shouldn’t be missed is Sasse’s recent interview with the Hoover Institution’s Peter Robinson, the host of “Uncommon Knowledge.” 

In it, Sasse offers some biting critiques of what our country’s politics have become. 

He talked about his frustration with the Senate, the elected body that was supposed to attract people who “would want to do stuff.” Yet, little gets done these days.

“They’re caught in a system where we have a big collective action problem where most of the people in the legislature really just wish they were TikTok stars,” Sasse told Robinson. “And so what they’re trying to do is find a platform to grandstand.” 

Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? 

Sasse went on to say that most Americans fall somewhere in the middle politically and just want Congress to “get its job done” and “stop pretending” it wants to be Hollywood.

“Washington is Hollywood for ugly people,” Sasse said. “Shut up, do your service and get off the stage.” 

These are more than words for Sasse, who did in fact go home after only being twice elected to the Senate. Sasse’s conservative credentials are bona fide, yet he also proved he was more loyal to his principles than any personality.

Case in point, he was one of only a handful of Senate Republicans who voted to convict President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial for his actions in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 

“We need a lot more normies to come back in and engage in politics a little bit,” Sasse said. “We need to resist the weirdo-ification of politics.” 

Some members of Congress show that civility is possible 

While so many Congress members seem more interested in performance art and racking up social media hits, some are following Sasse’s example.

Trump’s State of the Union address highlighted a true divide in how Congress operates. 

On one hand (among the Democrats who bothered to show up) you had members like Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, sporting a “F--k ICE” pin, and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, screaming at Trump during the speech. 

And then on the other, you had Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, also a Democrat. Rather than sporting his usual sweatshirt and shorts, he wore a full suit and took the radical approach to shake (gasp!) the president’s hand. 

Ahead of Trump’s speech, Fetterman told journalist Robert Costa, “I don’t care who is president, Democrat or Republican, they deserve basic courtesy.”

Fetterman’s right. Partisanship and theatrics shouldn’t trump basic civility.

It’s heartbreaking that Sasse is dying. But I hope his example inspires a new generation of political leaders who put what’s best for the country over their own ambition and social media counts. 

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques

© USA TODAY