The tradition of outgoing presidents leaving a private letter for their successors is a hallmark of the peaceful transfer of power in the United States. However, during a press event on Monday night, President Donald Trump appeared to forget about the letter left for him by former President Joe Biden—until a reporter reminded him.
During the event, held in the Oval Office as Trump signed dozens of executive orders, Fox News Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked, “President Trump, did President Biden leave you a letter?”
Trump, without looking up, responded casually, “He may have,” before adding, “Don’t they leave it on the desk?” He then opened a drawer in the Resolute Desk to check.
To his apparent surprise, Trump found the letter. “Ooooh!” he exclaimed. “Thank you, Peter. It could have been years before we found this. Thank you.”
Doocy followed up by asking, “Can you read anything on the outside?” Trump playfully replied, “Maybe we should all read it together. Well, maybe I’ll read it first and then make that determination.”
While Trump didn’t immediately reveal the letter’s contents, he later disclosed that he and Biden had discussed unity during a pre-inaugural meeting. Despite this gesture of goodwill, Trump criticized Biden for granting last-minute pardons to members of his family as his presidency came to an end, told Mediaite.
The lighthearted discovery of the letter offered a rare moment of levity amid the high tensions of a presidential transition. The contents of such letters are traditionally kept private, offering personal reflections, advice, or words of encouragement from one leader to the next. It remains to be seen if Trump will share any portion of Biden’s message publicly.
This moment highlighted the enduring rituals of the presidency, even as the political landscape remains deeply divided. For Trump, the discovery of Biden’s letter added an unexpected twist to his first days back in the office.