Former US President Joe Biden has announced he is scaling back his promotional tour for his upcoming memoir due to his ongoing battle with aggressive prostate cancer. The 83-year-old Democrat stated on Sunday that his health condition is limiting his ability to make as many public appearances as originally planned ahead of the book’s release on November 17.
In a post on X, Biden acknowledged the physical toll of his illness, writing, “Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down.” He added that while he would not be able to participate in as many conversations about the book as he had hoped, he remains hopeful that “the words on the page speak for themselves.”
Biden first disclosed his diagnosis in May 2025, four months after leaving the White House, revealing that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Since then, he has undergone radiation and hormone therapy. His son, Hunter Biden, stated in August that the disease had spread further and was causing considerable pain, although Joe Biden struck an optimistic note regarding his treatment, noting that his doctors “continue to be encouraged” by his response.
The memoir, titled Promise Me, America, chronicles Biden’s four years in office, covering his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the wars in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and his controversial decision to seek reelection in 2024 before withdrawing from the race. Biden stated that the book aims to explain the decisions he made in office and reflect his faith in American democracy.
“What Trump did on January 6, 2021, should never be forgotten. It should follow him to his grave,” Biden wrote.
In an excerpt published by The Atlantic on Monday, Biden delivered a sharp critique of his successor, Donald Trump, regarding the 2021 assault on the US Capitol. He also recalled an unexpectedly friendly Oval Office meeting with Trump following the Republican’s 2024 election victory, during which Trump suggested they might have been friends outside of politics. Biden had abandoned his reelection campaign in July 2024 after a debate against Trump intensified concerns about his age and fitness for office, a race ultimately won by Trump after Vice President Kamala Harris lost the general election.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
