Trump’s Private Letter to Biden Revealed in New Memoir — But the Message Contrasts With Their Bitter Political History
A handwritten letter Donald Trump left for Joe Biden when he departed the White House in January 2021 is finally being revealed, offering a surprising glimpse of a private exchange between two presidents whose political relationship was marked by deep hostility.
The two-page note, addressed to Biden as “To ‘46,’” praised the incoming president and expressed confidence that he would remain true to himself and the American people. Its contents are included in Biden’s forthcoming White House memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for release on November 17, 2026.
The Associated Press reports that it reviewed a photocopy of the handwritten letter, which was written on White House stationery using Trump’s trademark black marker.
“Many presidents have come and gone who simply governed as Republicans or Democrats,” Trump wrote. He added that Biden could be different because he knew how much Biden loved the American people.
The message is striking because Trump had spent years disputing his 2020 election defeat and publicly claiming that the result had been stolen. Yet, in the private note, he offered words of encouragement rather than an attack on his successor.
Biden kept the letter private for years
Biden had previously acknowledged receiving a letter from Trump but chose not to disclose its contents.
After his inauguration in January 2021, Biden showed the note to some members of his staff. However, he did not allow them to read it, describing the message as “very generous” while maintaining that it was private.
Trump later addressed the letter during a September 2023 interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. He called it a “nice note” and said he had spent considerable time thinking about what to write.
The letter also stood out because Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration, breaking a longstanding presidential transition tradition. He also skipped the customary White House tea meeting with the incoming president and first lady.
The newly revealed message therefore offers a different view of the relationship between the two men—at least in that private moment.
Biden’s memoir delivers a sharp assessment of Trump
While the letter contains words of encouragement, Biden’s broader account of Trump in Promise Me, America is considerably more critical.
In an excerpt published by The Atlantic on November 9, Biden accuses Trump of damaging American institutions and deepening political divisions. He also criticizes Trump’s reversal of policies from the Biden administration, including measures connected to climate change.
Biden describes Trump’s leadership as dismissive and destructive, arguing that his successor appeared unwilling to build on accomplishments made by previous administrations.
The former president’s strongest criticism concerns the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Biden writes that Trump “led an insurrection” because, in his account, the former president wanted to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. He also condemns Trump’s subsequent pardons and clemency for people convicted in connection with the Capitol attack.
Biden argues that the events of January 6 should remain part of Trump’s historical record.
These are Biden’s assessments in his memoir, rather than neutral descriptions accepted by all political observers. Their publication is likely to renew debate over Trump’s conduct after the 2020 election and how both presidents will be remembered.
Biden recalls a surprisingly friendly meeting with Trump
The memoir also revisits the November 13, 2024, Oval Office meeting between Biden and Trump, shortly after Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
According to Biden’s account, Trump adopted an unexpectedly friendly tone during their conversation. Biden recalls Trump suggesting that they might have been good friends if politics had not come between them.
Biden also describes discussing major international issues with the incoming president, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, NATO, Israel and Gaza, and relations with China.
However, Biden says he left the meeting concerned about Trump’s approach to governing and the possibility that his administration would dismantle policies and initiatives established during Biden’s presidency.
The recollection adds another layer to the contrast at the center of the memoir: a private exchange that appeared cordial, followed by a public political relationship defined by fierce disagreement.
White House pushes back against Biden’s criticism
The Trump administration has rejected Biden’s characterization of the president and his record.
White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the former president in a response to the Associated Press, calling Biden “a disgrace” and accusing him of ignoring Trump’s advice.
Cheung also accused Biden of trying to damage the country and weaponize the justice system against political opponents.
The response underscores how the release of Biden’s memoir is unfolding amid continuing political conflict between the two administrations and their supporters.
Biden’s health may limit his memoir appearances
The book’s release is also taking place as Biden manages his health.
The 83-year-old former president has said that his prostate cancer treatment will limit the number of public appearances he can make to promote the memoir. He has reported that his doctors remain encouraged by his response to treatment, although some days are more difficult than others.
Biden has encouraged readers to turn to the book itself for his account of the challenges, decisions and events that shaped his presidency.
Promise Me, America is expected to cover his four years in office, including domestic and international challenges, his administration’s decisions, and his eventual withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
A private note, a public divide and a battle over presidential legacy
Trump’s handwritten message to Biden offers a rare look at the personal side of a presidential transition that otherwise unfolded amid intense political hostility.
But the letter should not be mistaken for evidence that the two men had reconciled or that their political differences had disappeared. Its contents reveal what Trump chose to write privately at the end of his first term—not a complete picture of their relationship.
Biden’s memoir places that message alongside his criticism of Trump’s actions, particularly the January 6 Capitol attack and the policy changes that followed Trump’s return to office.
With the book scheduled to arrive on November 17, the competing accounts are likely to keep the debate over the 2020 transition, January 6 and the legacy of both presidents in the public conversation.
For readers, the most revealing question may not simply be why Trump wrote such a gracious letter. It is how that private message fits into the much larger and still-contested story of two presidents who occupied the same office—and whose views of American leadership remain sharply divided.
