Biden tried to explain his side of things and it didn’t work out.
Former President Joe Biden’s announcement that he is releasing a new memoir sparked an immediate wave of criticism from conservative commentators and social media users, with many reviving long-standing questions about his health, mental sharpness, and the use of an autopen during his presidency.
The memoir, titled Promise Me, America, is scheduled for release on November 17, shortly after the 2026 midterm elections. According to the publisher, the book reflects on Biden’s time in office and details what it describes as the difficult decision to end his 2024 re-election campaign.
Biden announced the project in a video posted to X, telling viewers the memoir explains the major challenges his administration faced and the reasoning behind many of his most significant decisions.
“It’s about the challenges we faced as a nation and the decisions I made and why I made them,” Biden said. He added that he has continued receiving treatment following his recent cancer diagnosis and said the treatment has been going well.
The former president said the book covers topics including rebuilding the economy after the pandemic, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, strengthening NATO, supporting Ukraine, and responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Rather than generating excitement, however, the announcement quickly became a lightning rod for criticism across conservative media and social media.
Many of the reactions centered on whether Biden personally authored the memoir, while others revisited concerns Republicans have raised for years about his cognitive abilities and leadership during his time in the White House.
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt dismissed the announcement, writing on X that he did not believe Biden wrote the book himself. Pratt also claimed politicians often use book deals as financial vehicles, suggesting organizations aligned with former presidents sometimes purchase large quantities of books.
Conservative communicator Steve Guest also mocked the announcement, joking that the first claim made during the launch was that Biden had written the memoir himself.
Nathan Brand, founder of The Brand Brief, argued the announcement served as another reminder of concerns Republicans expressed throughout Biden’s presidency regarding his physical and mental condition. Brand questioned what the country might have faced had Biden remained in office for another four years.
OutKick founder Clay Travis also weighed in, arguing that releasing the memoir after the midterm elections appeared to be a strategic political decision. Travis questioned whether the book would attract significant public interest and again referenced Republican criticism of Biden’s presidency.
Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Brent Scher joined the discussion with a brief post asking who actually wrote the memoir, echoing a question raised by many conservative users online.
Several Republican elected officials also entered the debate.
Missouri Congressman Jason Smith referenced Biden’s past use of an autopen, asking on social media whether the same device had written the book.
Florida congressional candidate Mark Kaye made a similar point with a short post that simply read, “Auto pen.”
As criticism spread, many users replying to Biden’s announcement shared images highlighting the autopen controversy that has remained a recurring political issue.
The images referenced President Donald Trump’s decision to replace Biden’s portrait in the Presidential Walk of Fame display with an image of an autopen—a symbolic jab at the former president’s reliance on the device to sign official documents.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Biden’s use of an autopen, arguing the former president delegated too much authority when signing executive actions and presidential pardons. Trump has also claimed Biden was unaware of some of the documents signed in his name, allegations that Biden’s allies have rejected.
The autopen debate has become one of several issues Republicans continue to raise alongside broader concerns about Biden’s health and mental fitness while he served as commander in chief.
Supporters of the former president argue the memoir gives Biden an opportunity to present his own account of one of the most turbulent periods in modern American politics. Critics, however, contend the announcement has only revived the same questions that dominated headlines throughout his presidency.
Whether Promise Me, America becomes a bestseller or simply fuels another round of political debate remains to be seen. What is already clear is that Biden’s book announcement immediately reignited fierce reactions across the political spectrum, ensuring the memoir will remain a major talking point in the months leading up to its release.
