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Biden reveals letter Trump left him at White House that made it seem 'as if there were two Donald Trumps'

Former President Joe Biden revealed in his upcoming memoir, "Promise Me, America," that President Donald Trump left him an unexpectedly friendly letter in January 2021 before Biden entered office after defeating Trump in the 2020 election, according to a report published Tuesday.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 2 sources•1 min read•Updated November 11, 2026, 2:40 AM UTC
Key points
  • details in a new book, is remarkable for a warm tone starkly at odds with his predecessor’s public comments.
  • "By the way, I know I've said those things about Trump as well, but I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about his political opponents, like President Biden.
  • According to an excerpt obtained by The New York Times, Biden reprinted the letter in full in his upcoming book, which is scheduled for release next week.

Biden repeatedly argued while he was still running that Trump was "a threat to democracy." Radio host Charlamagne Tha God questioned Biden's reception of Trump on his radio show at the time.

Additional details
  • Biden noted that the incoming president once again displayed a warm side, writing, "Trump was immediately chatty and surprised me by adopting a tone so friendly that I thought he might be putting me on.
  • "May God bless you and Jill, and may God bless America!" The Atlantic also highlighted a passage from the book recounting Biden’s customary 2024 White House meeting with Trump.
  • "Joe Biden should have heeded the President’s wise words, but instead he tried to destroy this country and weaponize the justice system against his political enemies.
  • And Biden uses it only to tear down Trump, suggesting insincerity," Wold said.
  • It bordered on fawning." BILL MAHER CLAIMS DONALD TRUMP FELT 'BETRAYED' BY HIM WITH 'SILLY' FEUD AFTER CORDIAL 2025 DINNER "You know, Joe, if it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends," Trump told him, according to The Atlantic report.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Every article behind this summary — 2 articles from 2 outlets

NYT PoliticsNovember 11, 2026, 2:40 AM UTC → Fox NewsNovember 11, 2026, 1:00 AM UTC →

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