Biden reflects on cancer diagnosis, 2024 withdrawal in upcoming memoir

In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, released ahead of his memoir, “Promise Me, America,” Biden, now 83, made the disclosure. He stated, “If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have resigned. I would’ve not gone forward, because I don’t think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for [president].”

Biden publicly announced his stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025, revealing the cancer had spread to his bones. He has since completed radiation treatment and is currently undergoing hormone therapy.

He ultimately suspended his campaign for the 2024 election on July 21, 2025, following a contentious debate performance against Donald Trump that triggered dissent within his own party.

Despite acknowledging visible health challenges and concerns about cognitive decline, Biden asserted to PEOPLE that he believed he was “the best-equipped person to do the job.” He dismissed the debate performance as “not very consequential,” noting, “I don’t know anybody who hasn’t made a mistake in a debate.”

Biden also defended his decisions to pardon his son, Hunter, and grant preemptive clemency to other family members, citing concerns about the actions of his successor. “I watched the modus operandi of Trump. He goes after people without any basis, whether they’re viewed as an enemy,” he said.

He criticized the decision by his successor to demolish the White House East Wing and replace it with a large ballroom, characterizing it as an attempt to build “monuments to himself.”

Regarding his health, Biden expressed optimism about his prognosis, stating recent tests indicated the cancer had not progressed. He added, “There’s a lot of people who’ve been diagnosed with cancer, particularly the kind of cancer I have, who live long lives, who live for another 10, 20 years.”

“Promise Me, America” will be released on November 17.