Joe Biden Shares the Private Letter President Trump Left Behind on Inauguration Day

In his first week in office, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. told reporters that his immediate predecessor, Donald J. Trump, had left him a “very generous letter” in the Oval Office. Since then, Mr. Biden has refused to discuss the contents.
But in his new book, “Promise Me, America,” Mr. Biden reprints the letter in full, according to an excerpt obtained by The New York Times. The Times also reviewed a photocopy of the original letter, which was dated Jan. 20, 2021, and left in an envelope addressed “To ‘46’” — a reference to Mr. Biden’s status as the 46th president.

The letter, written on White House stationery with Mr. Trump’s signature black Sharpie, is a remarkable document for how discordant it is with Mr. Trump’s public comments about Mr. Biden and the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Trump did not criticize Mr. Biden or challenge the results of the election. Instead, he wrote almost poetically about his experience working in the White House and how he believed that Mr. Biden “will be true to yourself and the American people.”

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President Trump's 2021 letter to incoming President Joe Biden has been obtained by The New York Times, which is detailed in Biden's new book.

The letter was written in black Sharpie.

In the book, Biden described how surprised he was to see how kind and warm Trump was to him.… pic.twitter.com/AHjnmD1hGk

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 10, 2026

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Dear Joe,

Coming to work every day in the Oval Office is a blessing beyond imagination. History resounds from every wall, every statue, every beautiful painting, and every corner of this magical place. Each staircase, hallway, and door leads to yet another door and memory, another inflection point in the glorious story of America.

I hope you take a moment every single day to take stock of where you are and the people who came before you, the titans who shaped the course of human events. You now have the opportunity to choose your place in history, and I know you will be true to yourself and the American people.

Many presidents have come and gone who simply governed as Republicans or Democrats. Largely, they did not change history, they were just swept along in its relentless tide. This will not happen to you because I know how much you love the American people.

Not only are you joined by the past, but you carry the hopes and dreams of the entire nation on your shoulders. The gravity of that fact never leaves you, it is the anchor that grounds every decision you make.Your strength, your deepest reservoir of energy, comes from the knowledge that millions upon millions of people are depending on you. Their ambitions and aspirations are the reason you are here, with so many counting on your success.

May God bless you and Jill, and may God bless America!

Sincerely,

Donald

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@CollinRugg Wow. POTUS was too nice and Joe Biden, I mean his handlers, didn’t take any of his advice.

— Erikaaa (@ErikaCA47) November 10, 2026

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@CollinRugg This is the Trump I see everyday.

— VIOLET (@violetssmith) November 10, 2026

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@CollinRugg POTUS is always gracious and these demons do nothing but attack him for loving America and fighting for her.

— Kate (@kate_p45) November 10, 2026

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@CollinRugg Leaving a handwritten note for the next guy in the Oval Office is a class move. Whatever you think of either man, that tradition is worth keeping.

— Words Have Meaning | Word Files (@dlcampbell05) November 10, 2026

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