President Trump’s private farewell letter to Joe Biden has finally been revealed—and its warmth may surprise even longtime political observers.
The full note was reported publicly for the first time on November 10, 2026, more than five years after Trump left it in the Oval Office for his successor.
Written after one of the most bitter presidential campaigns in modern history, the message was gracious, hopeful, and keenly aware of the presidency’s historic weight.
Collin Rugg shared an image of the newly disclosed letter, highlighting Biden’s reported surprise at the warmth of Trump’s message.
Although commonly described as Trump’s letter following the 2020 election, the document itself was dated January 20, 2021—the day Biden took office.
FactCheck.org documented Biden’s response on Inauguration Day in January 2021. Sitting at the Resolute Desk after signing his first executive orders, Biden told reporters that President Trump had left him a “very generous” letter.
Biden declined to reveal the message because he considered it private. He said he would not discuss the contents until he had spoken with Trump, leaving the public with only his description of the note for more than five years.
That contemporaneous account matters now because it matches the document that has finally surfaced. The warm tone was not invented after the fact; Biden himself acknowledged it on the day he entered the Oval Office.
That gives the new disclosure a strong contemporaneous anchor rather than merely a new-book publicity claim.
The New York Times reported that it reviewed a photocopy of the original two-page letter, written in Trump’s unmistakable black Sharpie and dated January 20, 2021.
The newspaper reported that the letter appears in Biden’s forthcoming presidential memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for release on November 17. That timing explains why a private document Biden guarded in 2021 is becoming public now.
Biden reportedly describes the note as sounding warm enough to have come from an old friend. That is a striking detail after a bitter campaign and an unusually tense transfer of power, because Trump used the private moment to write about history, duty, and the success of the country rather than personal grievance.
Biden announced that Promise Me, America will recount his presidential years, major decisions, and perspective on the nation.
The Daily Wire published a second readable presentation of the full letter and highlighted Trump’s statement that he knew how much Biden loved the American people. Its report also placed the private note against the much harsher public politics of the 2020 campaign.
The report included the current White House response as well. Communications director Steven Cheung argued that Biden failed to follow Trump’s counsel and pointed to the weaponization of government against political opponents during the years that followed.
The newly revealed message shows Trump reflecting on the extraordinary privilege and responsibility of occupying the Oval Office.
He urged Biden to recognize the weight of history, remember the millions of Americans counting on him, and seek God’s blessing as he assumed the presidency.
Here is the full text of the letter:
Whatever Americans think of the men or their politics, the tone of this private message is unmistakably gracious.
Trump could have used the moment to settle scores. Instead, he focused on the presidency, the country, Biden’s success, and the hopes carried by every new administration.
That restraint matters because private words often reveal character more clearly than speeches crafted for cameras and campaign crowds.
One line in particular captures the grace of the note: Trump told Biden he knew how much he loved the American people.
White House communications director Steven Cheung argued that Biden failed to follow Trump’s counsel, pointing to Biden’s record and what Cheung characterized as the weaponization of government against political opponents.
That criticism underscores the striking contrast: Trump’s private note extended grace and wished the incoming president success, even after a brutal campaign.
The years that followed brought relentless investigations, prosecutions, and political warfare—but the letter shows that when no cameras were rolling, Trump still chose to honor the office, the nation, and the peaceful transfer of presidential responsibility.
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[ H/T WLT Report ]
