Former President Joe Biden has revealed in his memoir «Promise Me, America» that Donald Trump left him a letter at the White House in January 2021, before Biden took office. Biden reprinted the full letter in the book and wrote that its tone made it seem as if there were «two Donald Trumps», a contrast with the public conduct Biden had watched from his predecessor.
According to Biden's account, the letter urged him to choose his place in history. Its warmth stood out to Biden against the combative public persona Trump displayed during and after his presidency. Biden presents the note as evidence of a side of Trump that rarely appeared in public, and frames it as an unexpected gesture from a rival who had spent years attacking him and his record.
The memoir's account of the relationship extends to a 2024 meeting between the two men at the White House, which Biden describes as friendly. In reporting on the book, Trump was said to have remarked that the two would be friends «if it weren't for politics». Biden's account of that encounter has drawn criticism. Radio host Charlamagne questioned Biden's cordial reception of Trump, given the bitterness of their campaigns and the disputes that followed the 2020 election.
Trump's camp responded sharply. White House communications director Steven Cheung called Biden a disgrace, and former Trump aide Theo Wold accused Biden of insincerity in describing the relationship. Biden's office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
The episode shows how the two former rivals are still shaping public perceptions of each other years after leaving office. Biden's memoir offers a personal portrait of Trump that differs sharply from the one promoted by Trump's allies, and the reaction from Trump's side suggests the dispute over that portrait is far from settled.