Former President Joe Biden’s upcoming memoir, “Promise Me, America,” publishes details of a letter Donald Trump left him in the Oval Office in 2021. The letter is described by Biden as “very generous,” and outlets say it includes warm wishes and offers a rare glimpse of civility between the two political rivals after Biden’s 2020 election win.
Multiple outlets report that the letter was delivered during the 2021 transition period. Fox News adds that it was sent weeks after the January 6 Capitol riots in 2021, while other outlets emphasize the letter’s tone and the reconciliation-like framing Biden presents. Newsweek and ABC News describe the letter as evidence of goodwill during an otherwise contentious period, based on what Biden reveals in the memoir. Newsweek and Newsweek’s summary also notes the letter is published in full in the book. Overall, the reporting centers on the memoir’s disclosure and how it characterizes Trump’s message.
Outlets vary mainly in how they characterize the letter—focusing either on “generous” warmth or on the contrast between that warmth and the surrounding political turmoil—while keeping the core facts largely consistent: Biden includes the letter in his memoir, and it is said to have been left in the Oval Office in 2021 after the election.
