Former President Joe Biden, 83, has said he would have stepped down—or withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race—if he had known that cancer was behind the health problems he was experiencing.
Biden and former first lady Dr. Jill Biden spoke with People magazine in what is described as their only on-camera interview ahead of the publication of his White House memoir, Promise Me, America.
Biden revealed in May 2025, four months after leaving office, that he had stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. He described claims that he had concealed the diagnosis as a “cynical twist” promoted by some commentators.
“If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have resigned—I would not have gone forward,” Biden told People.
The question came as part of a discussion about whether he would have handled the 2024 campaign differently.
“I don’t think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running for office, you know, but that wasn’t the case,” he added.
At the time, Biden was moving toward a reelection campaign. That course changed after his disastrous June 2024 debate with then-candidate Donald Trump, an appearance that ultimately reshaped the presidential race.
Even now, the former president said he remains surprised by the reaction to his debate performance.
Former President Joe Biden spoke with People magazine in an interview released Wednesday ahead of his White House memoir. Asked about the 2024 race, Biden said he would have “resigned” or withdrawn had he known he had cancer
President Joe Biden (left) stands beside First Lady Jill Biden (right) after his disastrous June 2024 debate with President Donald Trump. Biden said the debate’s aftermath brought his political career to an end
“I don’t know anybody who hadn’t made a mistake in a debate,” Biden said. “To me, it was not very consequential. First of all, I thought there was going to be another debate, which there wasn’t. But notwithstanding the fact that there wasn’t another debate, it didn’t disturb me because it wasn’t consequential.”
As criticism intensified, members of Biden’s own party urged the then-81-year-old president to end his reelection campaign. He withdrew on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
Biden told People he believed he was still capable of serving effectively.
“I think I did,” he insisted.
“To bring a wider array of support for the United States and our positions around the world,” he continued. “I had very good relationships with all the major leaders in the world, and so I believed that, on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job.”
Harris receives little attention during the interview; Biden is not asked about her and does not voluntarily raise her name.
In her campaign memoir, 107 Days, Harris criticized Biden’s decision to seek a second term, calling it “recklessness” given his age and the likelihood that Trump would again be his opponent.
Biden does, however, speak openly about his decision to pardon his son Hunter, a controversial action he took in December 2024 after Harris lost the election.
Former President Joe Biden (right) and his son Hunter Biden (left) are pictured Tuesday during a trip to Dublin, Ireland. Biden spoke with People ahead of the release of his memoir next Tuesday
Hunter, who has become more visible in public life and appeared on several podcasts since his father announced his cancer diagnosis, has previously said the pardon was damaging to both the Constitution and his father’s legacy.
“I disagree,” the elder Biden told People. “I watched the modus operandi of Trump. He goes after people without any basis, whether they’re viewed as an enemy. I knew what he would do.”
Since returning to the White House, Trump has pursued investigations and prosecutions involving several political opponents, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former FBI Director James Comey.
“If I hadn’t pardoned—not just some of my family members, anyone who’s dealt with me—he would go back and try to do harm to them, as I’ve observed,” Biden said.
Biden’s memoir is scheduled to arrive in bookstores Tuesday.
