Trump's Newly Revealed Letter to Biden Shows Unexpected Goodwill Despite Years of Bitter Public Attacks

Donald Trump privately told Joe Biden 'I know how much you love the American people' in a letter dated 20 January 2021, despite his months-long campaign to overturn Biden's 2020 election victory. Biden now reproduces the message in his forthcoming memoir, describing the contrast as being 'as if there were two Donald Trumps'.

The contents are newly disclosed, but the letter's existence has been public since Biden's first day as president, when he described it as generous. Its encouragement differed sharply from Trump's election challenges and his decision not to attend his successor's inauguration.

Trump's Letter Offers Biden Encouragement

Trump reflected on the White House and its place in presidential history, encouraging Biden to remain true to himself and the American people. He distinguished between presidents who merely held office and those who changed the country's course.

'Many presidents have come and gone who simply governed as Republicans or Democrats,' Trump wrote. He continued, '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.'

Biden Recalls 'Two Donald Trumps'

In Promise Me, America, Biden contrasts that encouragement with Trump's conduct before leaving office, which he says 'deeply destabilized democracy'. His description of 'two Donald Trumps' captures his reaction to the difference between the private message and his predecessor's public behaviour.

'But here he was, offering his best wishes in warm language that sounded like it was coming from an old friend,' Biden writes. The letter also told him that Americans' hopes and dreams would rest on his shoulders, with millions depending on his success.

Trump's Election Challenges Frame the Handover

Trump had repeatedly claimed the 2020 election was stolen, challenged the results in court and pressed allies to block certification of his defeat. His supporters stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 as Congress considered certification, although lawmakers ultimately confirmed Biden's victory.

Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration and, in Biden's account, had not offered his successor the customary meeting between presidents. Yet the letter addressed Biden's responsibilities as the incoming president and encouraged him to succeed, without repeating Trump's public challenges to the result.

Biden's Memoir Reveals the Correspondence

The letter appears in Promise Me, America, scheduled for publication on 17 November 2026, nearly six years after the handover. The New York Times disclosed its contents after obtaining a book excerpt and examining a photocopy of the original correspondence.

The newspaper described White House stationery, a signature in Trump's distinctive black Sharpie and an envelope marked 'To 46', referring to Biden as the 46th president. The date on the letter matched the day Biden took office, when he first publicly acknowledged receiving it.

Biden Initially Kept the Letter Private

Asked about the correspondence while signing executive actions on 20 January 2021, Biden told reporters, 'The president wrote a very generous letter.' He added, 'I have it because it was private. I will not talk about it until I talked to him. But he was generous.'

Biden therefore made its existence known immediately while withholding the words Trump had written. The memoir supplies the contents behind that initial description, alongside Biden's retrospective assessment of why the message surprised him.

White House Responds With Criticism of Biden

White House communications director Steven Cheung responded by saying Biden should have followed Trump's advice, accusing him of trying to destroy the country and weaponise the justice system against political opponents. 'Biden is a disgrace, and America is better off with him no longer as president,' he added.

Cheung's criticism contrasted with the encouragement expressed in the January 2021 message. The letter expresses goodwill towards an incoming president, but does not establish friendship, agreement over the election or a lasting reconciliation between the two men.