In his upcoming book, former US President Joe Biden reveals the content of a letter written by President Donald Trump in 2021, when he was preparing to leave the White House after the end of his first term. This is according to an excerpt from the book and a copy of the letter obtained by the American newspaper The New York Times.
Trump wrote in his letter to Biden - according to the newspaper -: “Many presidents have come and gone, and they ruled simply as Republicans or Democrats, and for the most part, they did not change the course of history, but rather were swept away by its continuous flow, but this will not happen with you, because I know how much you love the American people.”
Biden had previously indicated the existence of a message left for him by his predecessor - who also returned to become his successor - but he has so far refused to reveal its content.
The letter - dated January 20, 2021 - carries a tone different from the public statements made by Trump following his loss of the 2020 elections to Biden. Trump repeatedly claimed that the election was stolen, refused to conduct an orderly transfer of power, challenged the results in court, and pressured his allies to try to prevent his loss from being certified.
Matters reached their peak when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol (Congress) building on January 6, 2021, coinciding with a vote to certify the results.
Although Congress ultimately certified Biden's victory, Trump continued to deny the results of the 2020 elections, and pardoned more than 1,000 people who were involved in those riots, after his return to the White House last year.
"You are not only tied to the past, but you carry on your shoulders the hopes and dreams of an entire nation," Trump wrote in the letter. "The weight of this truth will never leave you; it is the foundation upon which all your decisions are based. Your strength, your deepest reservoir of energy, lies in the realization that millions of people depend on you. Their ambitions and aspirations are the reason you are here, and there are many who place their hopes in your success."
Biden's inauguration ceremony took place on the same day the letter was written, while Trump was absent from the celebrations, contrary to what is customary for most former presidents who are still alive.
Since the forty-sixth president took office, Trump has been directing harsh criticism at Biden.
In his book titled “Promise Me, America,” Biden writes that it was “as if there were two different personalities of Donald Trump,” noting that Trump “deeply shook the foundations of democracy,” according to what the newspaper reported.
“But here he was, expressing his best wishes with warm words that sounded as if they were coming from an old friend,” Biden adds in the book, scheduled to be released Tuesday.
In a statement to the newspaper, White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung said: “Joe Biden should have followed the president’s wise words, but instead he sought to destroy this country and used the judicial system as a weapon against his political opponents.” Cheung added: “Biden represents a disgrace, and America is in better shape now that he is no longer president.”
