Former first lady Jill Biden’s new memoir, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list, has now fallen completely from the rankings.
“View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” released two weeks ago, topped the New York Times bestseller list upon release. However, just two weeks later, the former First Lady’s memoir is nowhere to be found. (RELATED: I Read Jill Biden’s Book So You Don’t Have To)
“It debuted at #1 on the NYT due to astroturfed bulk orders (not my opinion it got the infamous † indicating this) and is now *completely* off the list 2 weeks later,” Democrat-aligned Statistician Nate Silver observed in a post on X. “Very rare for a ‘#1’ to fall that fast. Virtually no one except political reporters are actually reading it.”
The reference to the “†” symbol means that the best seller status was influenced by “institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases,” rather than the standard “completed transactions by vendors and individual end users.”
It debuted at #1 on the NYT due to astroturfed bulk orders (not my opinion it got the infamous † indicating this) and is now *completely* off the list 2 weeks later. Very rare for a “#1” to fall that fast. Virtually no one except political reporters are actually reading it. https://t.co/dUU8kswlDN
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) June 27, 2026
“In View from the East Wing, Jill shares her White House experiences for the first time, in her own words,” the memoir’s description says. “She reflects on the Biden presidency and its impact on her family. She brings you behind the scenes, from Camp David to Air Force One, from grading papers in the Rose Garden to witnessing the abrupt end of her husband’s bid for reelection. This is the story of a woman dedicated to her roles as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher—and First Lady of the United States.”
Former Biden-Harris White House officials told the Daily Caller in early June that they were unsure of the timing of the memoir. “I would just say that no discussion about 2024 is helpful. It is either a neutral or a negative, but it does not move the needle in a positive direction.”
The former first lady faced tough questions during the press tour for her book, including admitting she was worried her husband was having a stroke during a presidential debate. The book has also faced some backlash from her own party: “Many Democrats have accused her of rewriting history, arguing the book is unhelpful and, at times, tone-deaf,” Time Magazine reported.
New York Times Bestseller rankings are determined by “unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors,” simply suggesting Biden’s book is no longer selling.
Vice President J.D. Vance’s new book “Communion” currently tops the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction.