Former President Joe Biden will publish a memoir, Promise Me, America, on November 17. Published by Little, Brown and Company, the release is strategically timed, following the midterm elections by two weeks.
According to Biden’s video statement, the book delves into his economic decisions, his presidency, and his decision not to run for re-election in 2024. “It’s about why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside,” Biden explained.
The publication’s rollout, anticipated to include interviews and a press tour before Election Day, potentially pulls Biden back into the public eye. This occurs as Democratic leaders aim to focus on President Donald Trump during the campaign.
Diversity in opinion about Biden’s legacy exists among Democrats. Some members fault his decision to pursue a second term as the cause for Trump’s return to the presidency. The intention for the fall campaign is to spotlight Trump’s record. However, any promotional material linked to Biden’s presidency might complicate these efforts.
Concerns are not unfounded. Jill Biden’s memoir, View From the East Wing, published in June, had revived criticisms of Biden’s June 2024 debate performance after she mentioned fears of him having a stroke on stage. This disclosure re-ignited disputes within the Democratic party regarding its approach to 2024, months later.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, a Democrat, expressed her views at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. “I don’t think the average Democratic voter, honestly, particularly in New Mexico, gives a damn about that book or the debate anymore,” she remarked.
Former Representative Susan Wild, a Democrat who lost her 2024 reelection bid, voiced her desires through Politico for the party to move past previous contentions. “Let everyone finish venting about ’24 now and get it out of their systems,” she said, anticipating “voters won’t remember any of this in 2028.”
Social media conversations reveal concerns that the book’s buildup might resurface talking points, negatively impacting Kamala Harris’ 2024 defeat.
The Reckoning for Democrats
Not all Democrats view Biden’s resurgence in the spotlight as a concern. Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, expressed no apprehension about the memoir distracting Democrats.
“I have no concerns that Biden’s book will be a distraction for Democrats in 2026 or 2028,” Kessler told Newsweek. He emphasized the need for Democrats to “reckon with the disaster of 2024.”
Kessler criticized the Democratic party’s belief in Biden’s readiness for a second term, stating that Biden moved further left during his presidency, losing popularity with each decision. He argued that Biden and his administration disadvantaged Harris, who took over the 2024 nomination.
Kessler anticipates considerable analysis of Biden’s book content. “This will be his attempt to write the final chapter of his legacy. Let’s do it now well in advance of the 2028 primary run,” he stated.
Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist who supported Biden’s 2024 campaign, doesn’t foresee the book negatively affecting Democrats, especially post-midterms. “I feel pretty confidently that Democrats will at least win the House by a healthy margin, and very possibly the Senate as well,” she told Newsweek. Cardona believes the timing allows Biden to make his case unaffected by the midterms.
Cardona highlights Biden’s past achievements. “[Biden] is a former president who got the country out of the pandemic, who brought the country back from the brink, and I think he deserves for Americans to understand that he’s got the right to put a book out about what his experiences were.”
Considering the memoir’s timing, Cardona feels it won’t impact the Democratic party politically. “I don’t think it will have a negative political impact on Democrats,” she added.
Biden’s Persistent Spotlight
Biden’s recurring public presence complicates party messaging since he left office. He is currently suing the Justice Department to stop releasing recorded interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur, which renewed discussions about his mental fitness during presidency.
Relevant concerns surfaced in Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, detailing Biden’s alleged decline and its influence on Harris’s truncated campaign.
Recently, Biden endorsed candidates such as Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia’s governor’s race and Dan Koh in a Massachusetts congressional primary. Both candidates are former administration officials.
Promise Me, America borrows its title from Biden’s 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad, reflecting on his son Beau Biden’s death.
At 84, Biden collaborated with a small editorial team for his memoir. Little, Brown and Company did not disclose financial arrangements, but generally, presidential memoirs attract seven-figure advances.
A spokesperson for Little, Brown and Company revealed Biden’s plans to tour for the book and conduct interviews. In his announcement video, Biden addressed his health, mentioning his prostate cancer diagnosis. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family,” he said. “I’m dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it’s going really well.”
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