President Joe Biden plans to leave a letter to President-elect Donald Trump before leaving the Oval Office for the last time on Monday, as part of the tradition of outgoing presidents, according to reports.
Mr. Biden plans to write a memo to his successor, just as President Trump left a memo to himself four years ago. CNN reported.
Trump did not attend the inauguration ceremony at the end of his first term in 2020, but he did leave a letter to Biden. Biden did not reveal the contents of the letter, only that it was “very generous.”
This modern tradition has continued since President Ronald Reagan left a memo to George H.W. Bush on his Resolute desk before leaving office in 1989. President Reagan's memo included a cartoon turkey and the words “Don't raise turkeys” written on stationery. You pasted 'down' on top.
Reagan's note was friendly and empathetic, but the letter only grew longer from there. Turkey stationery was also phased out as all subsequent presidents used White House branded paper.
Ahead of Inauguration Day, President Trump celebrated at a rally in Washington, D.C., and spent the evening outlining his plans for the future, promising to dismantle most of what the Biden administration had put in place.
“Tomorrow at noon, four years of American decline will end and a brand new day of American strength, prosperity, dignity and pride will begin,” President Trump said at the rally. “We're not going to accept that anymore.”
