WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his new memoir will address his decisions to run for reelection in 2024 and later withdraw from the race, releasing the book two weeks after the November midterms.
The memoir, titled Promise Me, America, is scheduled to publish on Nov. 17. It takes its name from Biden’s 2017 book Promise Me, Dad, which focused on the death of his son Beau Biden.
In a video announcement, Biden said the book examines the challenges of his presidency and the political turmoil that marked its final months. “It’s about why I chose to run for reelection, and why I chose to step aside,” he said.
Release Timing Raises Questions
The timing places the memoir’s rollout in the immediate aftermath of the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats have sought to keep public attention on President Donald Trump’s second-term policies, including the economy and voting rights issues, rather than revisit divisions from the 2024 campaign.
A spokesperson for Biden’s post-presidential office declined to comment on the announcement or its timing.
Quentin Fulks, who served as deputy campaign manager for Biden’s 2024 effort and later for Vice President Kamala Harris, pushed back against concerns that the book would distract voters.
“The notion that voters would be focused on a book that comes out two weeks after the election and not the soaring cost of living and constant attacks on voting rights under the Trump administration is a fundamental misunderstanding of what regular people are going through in this country,”
Fulks said.
Health Disclosure in Announcement
Biden used the announcement to disclose a serious health diagnosis. He said he was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive, hormone-sensitive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. “I’ve been getting treatment, and it’s been going really well,” he said in the video.
The former president’s term began during the coronavirus pandemic and followed the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. It ended amid ongoing questions about his age, physical and mental fitness, and his insistence on seeking a second term despite those concerns.
Contrasting Accounts From Inner Circle
Biden’s memoir enters a crowded field of books from participants in the 2024 drama. Former first lady Jill Biden has described her husband’s withdrawal as a painful decision made under heavy pressure from Democrats. In her account, Biden told her afterward, “Jilly, I had no choice.”
Harris took a sharper tone in her own book, 107 Days. She argued that Biden’s decision to run again should not have been treated as a purely personal matter and described the party’s deference to him and his family as “recklessness,” given the high stakes of the election.
Publishers typically use advance excerpts and author interviews to promote such books, which could generate weeks of coverage as the 2028 presidential cycle begins to take shape.
Legacy and Historical Record
The book gives Biden another platform to frame the record of his presidency. Supporters credit him with managing the post-pandemic economy and infrastructure investments. Critics point to inflation, the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, and border issues as major failures, along with what many saw as an extended effort to downplay questions about his capacity for another term.
Biden’s announcement comes as Democrats remain divided over the 2024 outcome and how the party handled the transition to Harris as the nominee. Some party members have argued privately that earlier action to replace Biden could have improved their chances against Trump.
The former president has maintained a relatively low public profile since leaving office but has continued to weigh in on select issues through statements and occasional appearances.
Promise Me, America is expected to draw significant media interest, with excerpts likely to appear in major outlets before the release date. Little, Brown and Co., the publisher of his previous memoir, is handling the new book.
