Former President Joe Biden’s memoir Promise Me, America, set for release on November 17, contains the full text of the private letter Donald Trump left for him in the Oval Office on January 20, 2021.
The two-page note was handwritten in black Sharpie on White House stationery and placed in an envelope marked “To ’46,’” referring to Biden’s status as the 46th president. A photocopy of the letter was reviewed by the New York Times prior to the book’s release.
On inauguration day, Biden described the letter as “very generous” but kept its contents private, saying he would not discuss it until he had spoken with Trump. He later showed the note to some staff members without allowing them to read it.
Trump, in a September 2023 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, called it “a nice note” and said, “I took a lot of time in thinking about it,” adding that the decision to release it belonged to Biden.
The letter opens by reflecting on the office itself. “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,” it reads.
Trump then urged Biden to take some time to appreciate the gravity and history behind the office. “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,” Trump wrote.
The letter continued, “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.”
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The New York Times has obtained the letter President Trump left for President Biden in the Oval Office in 2021.
The letter — which Trump wrote by hand using his signature black Sharpie — is printed in Biden’s forthcoming presidential memoir.
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The note went on to contrast ordinary presidencies with Biden’s expected path. “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,” Trump continued.
Trump closed the letter by calling on Biden to balance the weight of the office with personal strength. “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,” the president concluded.
“May God bless you and Jill, and may God bless America!”
The custom of an outgoing president leaving a note in the Resolute Desk began with Ronald Reagan in 1989 and has been followed by every president since. In the memoir, Biden writes that the letter left him feeling “as if there were two Donald Trumps.” He notes that Trump “deeply destabilized our democracy” and “had not offered the traditional meeting between presidents,” yet “here he was, offering his best wishes in warm language that sounded like it was coming from an old friend.”
In January 2025, when the roles reversed, Biden left a letter for Trump addressed to “47.” Trump later described that note as “very nice” and “a little bit of an inspirational-type letter,” and its contents were published within days. The 2021 letter from Trump to Biden remained private until the excerpts from Promise Me, America appeared this week.
