Former President Joe Biden writes in his forthcoming memoir, “Promise Me, America,” that Donald Trump left him a surprisingly warm letter before Biden took office in January 2021, according to a report published Tuesday. Biden won the 2020 election against Trump.
An excerpt obtained by The New York Times says Biden reproduced the letter in full in the book, which is due out next week. Reflecting on its tone, Biden wrote that it seemed “as if there were two Donald Trumps.”
He set the letter’s friendly wishes against Trump’s public conduct, saying Trump had “deeply destabilized our democracy” and had not offered the customary meeting between presidents. The letter, by contrast, sounded to Biden as though it came from “an old friend.”
“You now have the opportunity to choose your place in history, and I know you will be true to yourself and the American people,” Trump wrote, as quoted by Biden. He added that many presidents had simply governed as Republicans or Democrats without changing history, but said he believed Biden would be different because of his love for the country.
Trump also wrote that Biden’s energy came from knowing millions of people were counting on him, and closed with, “May God bless you and Jill, and may God bless America!”
The Atlantic has also highlighted Biden’s account of a meeting with Trump at the White House in 2024. Biden wrote that Trump was “immediately chatty” and unexpectedly friendly, adding that the tone was so warm he wondered if Trump was putting him on. It “bordered on fawning,” Biden said.
According to The Atlantic, Trump told Biden, “You know, Joe, if it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends.” Biden recalled replying that they would spend their time golfing together.
The cordial exchange drew notice because Biden had repeatedly described Trump as “a threat to democracy” while campaigning. Radio host Charlamagne Tha God questioned Biden’s reception of Trump at the time, saying he understood the importance of a peaceful transfer of power but wondered how that fit with Biden’s earlier warnings.
White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized Biden’s remarks in a statement, saying Biden should have followed Trump’s advice rather than trying to undermine the country and use the justice system against political opponents. Cheung called Biden a disgrace and said the country was better off without him as president.
Theo Wold, who served as a deputy assistant for domestic policy during Trump’s first term, also criticized Biden’s account. Wold said Trump’s letter had acknowledged the responsibility of the presidency, while Biden’s description suggested it was insincere. He added that Biden and the book’s writers, in his view, were determined to dislike Trump regardless of the evidence.
Biden’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
