As Biden prepares to exit the White House for the last time today, he will leave a letter for Trump on the Resolute Desk, according to sources who spoke to CNN.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Trump, who notably abstained from attending Biden's inauguration in 2021, adhered to this presidential custom by penning a letter to Biden. The contents of this letter remain undisclosed to the public, with Biden choosing to keep the letter private. However, he did describe it as a 'very generous letter.'
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Trump was reportedly intrigued by the letter that Barack Obama left him when he assumed office in 2017. Despite having campaigned vigorously against Trump in 2016, Obama extended his congratulations to Trump on his 'remarkable run' and shared some reflections from his eight years in office. Trump was so moved by this gesture that he immediately attempted to call Obama after reading the letter. However, due to Obama being on a flight to California, the two were unable to connect.
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The tradition of the presidential letter is a relatively recent one, initiated by President Ronald Reagan. After serving two terms as president, Reagan left a note for his Vice President and successor, George H. W. Bush, congratulating him on becoming Commander-in-Chief.
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Biden is set to welcome Trump back to the White House with a tea reception this morning before accompanying him to the Capitol for the inauguration. Before departing the presidential residence, Biden will leave a note for Trump, his successor and the predecessor who left a note for him.
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Little is known about the contents of the 'generous' note that Trump - who refused to accept his 2020 election defeat - left for Biden four years ago. Biden showed the note to some members of his staff after his inauguration in 2021 but didn't allow anyone to read it. Others described Trump's note as long and handwritten, and Biden is said to have been surprised by how gracious he thought the letter was given the animosity between the political rivals.
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Trump believed it was Biden's prerogative to share the letter. 'It was a nice note,' he said during a September 2023 interview with NBC's Meet the Press, adding, 'I took a lot of time in thinking about it.'
Biden will now hold the unique distinction of being the first president to write a presidential letter to the same person from whom he received one. When Trump assumes office today, he will be the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s - a time when the letter-writing tradition did not exist.
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Biden spent his final full day as president in South Carolina, encouraging Americans to 'keep the faith in a better day to come' and reflecting on the influence of both the civil rights movement and the state itself on his political trajectory.
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On the eve of Trump's inauguration, Biden delivered a final farewell from South Carolina - a state that holds special significance after his commanding win in its 2020 Democratic primary propelled him towards achieving his lifelong goal of being elected president.
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Biden struck a more hopeful tone for the future of the country than he did during his televised farewell address last Wednesday, when he warned about an 'oligarchy' of the ultrawealthy taking root and a 'tech-industrial complex' impeding the future of democracy.
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'We know the struggle to redeeming the soul of this nation is difficult and ongoing,' Biden said Sunday. 'We must hold on to hope. We must stay engaged. We must always keep the faith in a better day to come.' He added: 'I'm not going anywhere' - and the crowd applauded.
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The tradition of leaving a letter began when Reagan left a letter in the Oval Office desk drawer for George H.W. Bush, his successor and vice president of eight years. Reagan was inspired to write to Bush, who had become a friend during their eight-year partnership. He chose a sheet of whimsical stationery illustrated by the cartoonist Sandra Boynton with an elephant - also the Republican Party mascot - surrounded by turkeys and the phrase, 'Don´t let the turkeys get you down.'
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'Dear George,' the 40th president wrote in January 1989, opening the two-paragraph note. 'You´ll have moments when you want to use this particular stationery. Well, go to it.' Reagan wrote that he treasured the memories they shared and 'wish you all the very best.' He closed with, 'I´ll miss our Thursday lunches,' and signed it, 'Ron.'
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The tradition was then elevated when the elder Bush turned over the presidency after one term, denied a second by Bill Clinton in the 1992 election. Bush used his note to wish Clinton 'great happiness here' in the White House. He warned of tough times that will be made more difficult by criticism Clinton will think unfair, and he advised the man who defeated him to 'just don't let the critics discourage you or push you off course.'
'Your success now is our country´s success. I am rooting hard for you,' Bush wrote.
'It´s just a very bipartisan, genuine reflection of, I think, really, George H.W. Bush´s character,' Matthew Costello, chief education officer at the White House Historical Association, said during an online program about inaugural traditions.
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At the end of his two terms, Clinton told the younger Bush that the incoming president was embarking on the 'greatest adventure, with the greatest honor, that can come to an American citizen' and wished him 'success and much happiness.'
'The burdens you now shoulder are great but often exaggerated. The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressible,' Clinton wrote.
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Eight years later, Bush congratulated Obama on opening a 'fantastic chapter in your life' but warned of the trying moments ahead with critics who 'rage' and 'friends' who will disappoint.
'But, you will have an Almighty God to comfort you, a family who loves you, and a country that is pulling for you, including me,' George W. Bush wrote.
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Obama also left a congratulatory note for Trump. He told him they were both blessed with good fortune, that American leadership 'really is indispensable' in the world, that they are the 'guardians' of democratic institutions and traditions, and that family and friends will see him through the 'inevitable rough patches.'
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'Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure,' Obama wrote.
Some earlier outgoing presidents wrote letters to their successors, though not on Inauguration Day and not always with congratulations in mind. Earlier notes often were penned with invitations to visit or dine at the White House or to relay information, which is what President John Adams did in a February 1801 letter to inform incoming President Thomas Jefferson about transportation.
