Former U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that he will significantly curtail his promotional appearances for his upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer. The book, which provides an account of his four years in the White House, is scheduled for release on November 17, 2026. Biden, who will turn 84 shortly after the book's publication, shared the update via social media on Monday.
In a post on the platform X, which garnered over four million views within hours, the former president acknowledged the physical toll of his ongoing medical regimen. “Some days are better than others,” Biden wrote. “It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down.” He explained that due to these health constraints, he would be unable to participate in as many interviews and conversations regarding the book as he had originally planned, expressing a hope that “the words on the page speak for themselves.”
The announcement underscores the ongoing health challenges faced by the former president. In May 2025, his office confirmed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which had a Gleason score of 9 and had spread to his bones. Biden revealed that he received the diagnosis while in the process of writing the memoir. Despite the diagnosis, he noted that his doctors remain encouraged by his response to the medical treatment he is receiving.
Promise Me, America is expected to cover a broad range of topics, including the various challenges his administration faced, the reasoning behind his key presidential decisions, and his perspective on America's role in the global arena. Biden also stated that the book serves as a reflection of his faith in the American people and the nation’s democratic experiment. When the book was first announced in July, Biden indicated that it would also address his decision-making process regarding his 2024 reelection bid and his eventual choice to withdraw from the race.
The title of the memoir serves as a thematic link to two of Biden’s previous books: Promises to Keep, released during his 2008 presidential campaign, and Promise Me, Dad, a 2017 memoir focused on the 2015 death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer. Reflecting on his current situation, Biden invoked advice from his late father, who often told him, “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up.” He described this as a guiding lesson throughout his political and personal life, including during his most difficult days.
Biden’s presidency was marked by persistent scrutiny regarding his age and health, with critics from both major political parties suggesting that his administration had been less than transparent about the state of his decline. These concerns were further highlighted in the 2025 book Original Sin by authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. Following his withdrawal from the 2024 race, he was succeeded at the top of the Democratic ticket by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost the election to Donald Trump.
As the November 17 release date approaches, the book arrives in a climate where political discourse remains focused on the aftermath of recent elections. Some observers within the Democratic Party had expressed concern that the timing of the memoir could shift public attention back to the former president during a period when the party was attempting to focus on the current administration. Nevertheless, Biden remains focused on the message within his book, concluding his announcement by reiterating his belief in the founding American ideal that all individuals are created equal.
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