Obama was reluctant to make an endorsement in the
2020 Democratic presidential primaries because he wanted to position himself to unify the party, regardless of the nominee. On April 14, 2020, Obama endorsed Biden, the presumptive nominee, for president in
the presidential election, stating that he has "all the qualities we need in a president right now." In May, Obama criticized President Trump for
his handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic, calling his response to the crisis "an absolute chaotic disaster", and stating that the consequences of the
Trump presidency have been "our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before." On November 17, Obama's presidential memoir,
A Promised Land, was released.