President Trump has disclosed the contents of a letter that Biden left him inside the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
The two bitter rivals have traded spiteful words throughout Biden’s presidency and during two presidential campaigns. However, Trump says Biden’s letter was positive and inspirational, a sharp contrast from their sour personal and political relationship.
“It was a very nice letter,” Trump said. “It was a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it, do a good job. Important, very important. How important the job is.”
Although the letter was not directly addressed to him but instead to “47,” Trump praised Biden for writing it, adding that he appreciated the gesture.
“It was a positive, for him, in writing it,” Trump continued. “I appreciated the letter.”
President Trump disclosed the contents of the letter while announcing a $500 billion dollar joint investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure by Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank after a reporter reminded him about it. The letter read:
Dear President Trump,
As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years. The American people – and people around the world – look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation. May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding.
Joe Biden
1-20-25
Trump had discovered it much earlier while signing a flurry of executive orders after a Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked if Biden had left him a letter. During the information press conference, Trump mocked Biden by asking reporters if the former president could hold such an event.
“Did Biden ever do news conferences like this?” Trump asked.
When asked if Biden had left a letter, Trump was unsure but thanked the Fox News journalist for reminding him.
“He may have. Don’t they leave it in the desk? I don’t know,” Trump told Peter Doocy. “Thank you, Peter. It could have been years before we found this thing.”
Trump had suggested reading the letter together with the journalists but postponed opening it until later.
Meanwhile, the tradition of outgoing presidents leaving letters for their successors dates back to 1989 when former President Ronald Reagan left one for ex-President George H. W. Bush. While letters left by outgoing presidents reflect the political mood during the campaigns, they are usually rarely controversial.
Even former President George H. W. Bush left former President Clinton a nice letter after losing a second attempt at the White House to him.
However, Reagan teased his Democratic successor by including the drawing of an elephant which symbolizes the Republican Party.
Clinton also left a presidential letter for George W. Bush, reminding him that he led the most important force for freedom in the world.
After leaving the White House in 2020, Trump also left Biden a “very generous letter” whose contents the former president never disclosed.
However, former President Barack Obama left Trump one with political undertones, urging him to uphold democratic values and institutions. Like in 2020 and 2024, Democrats had mounted an aggressive and hostile campaign in 2016, demonizing Trump as a threat to democracy.
With Trump being the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms separated by a single term, Biden makes history as the first president to receive a letter and leave one to the same predecessor and successor.
Two things:
1. “However, Reagan teased his Democratic successor by including the drawing of an elephant which symbolizes the Republican Party.” Reagan didn’t have a democrat successor, his Republican VP succeeded him. Unless the left a letter for Clinton as well, which would have been pretty precognitive of him.
2. “With Trump being the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms separated by a single term,” Better check the history books on that one. Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms separated by a single term.
How did Reagan draw an elephant on the letter from Bush Sr. to Clinton?