Former President Joe Biden defends his decision to run for reelection and reflects on his interactions with Donald Trump in his new memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for release on November 17.
The 2021 Oval Office Letter
The book reveals the contents of a private, handwritten letter that Donald Trump left behind in the Resolute Desk drawer on January 20, 2021. Addressed “To ’46,” the note offered cordial wishes at the end of a turbulent transition period.
I want to share a brief update. My presidential memoir, PROMISE ME, AMERICA, is coming out on November 17th. I hope you'll read it. It covers my years as President. The challenges we faced, the decisions I made, and why I made them. It's about who we are as a nation. What we…
The two-page note was penned in Trump’s trademark black Sharpie on White House stationery. In the message, Trump wrote that many past commanders in chief simply governed as Republicans or Democrats without altering history, but predicted that this would not happen to his successor because he understood how deeply Biden loved the American people.
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.
Donald Trump
Biden wrote that reading the letter made him feel as if there were two Donald Trumps, noting a sharp contrast between the private courtesy and the public hostility surrounding the 2020 election results.
Biden's mom had a saying: "Joey, never bow; never bend; never kneel; never yield." That sentiment runs through his memoir, as he recounts four years as president, his decision to run for reelection, and an attempt to stay in the race. My look at the book: https://t.co/vp8mQjMxQ9
The November 2024 White House Meeting
The memoir also details a nearly two-hour meeting between the two leaders at the White House on November 13, 2024, following Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris. Biden described Trump as immediately chatty and surprisingly friendly.
You know, Joe, if it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends.
Donald Trump
Biden said that he was too stunned to respond as Trump continued to praise his job creation record and expressed relief that he ultimately did not have to run against him in the general election.
Defense of the 2024 Reelection Bid
Throughout the book, Biden offers an unrepentant defense of his presidency and his decision to run for reelection in 2024. He argues that critics and party elites mischaracterized his capabilities and pushed a negative narrative despite his administrative record.
While acknowledging that a disastrous debate performance severely damaged his campaign, Biden insists the race remained winnable and maintains that he was simply doing the job.
Biden: “I told Schumer he had a lot of gumption (I may have said it differently at the time), coming to my home telling me to get out of the race. Loyalty matters to me. If I give you my word I stick with you. If I say I’m with you I’m with you to the end” https://t.co/vp8mQjMxQ9
Criticism of Jan. 6 and Foreign Policy
Despite noting private warmth, Biden maintains harsh criticism regarding Trump’s political actions, writing that “What Trump did on January 6, 2021, should never be forgotten. It should follow him to his grave.” He denounces Trump’s sweeping pardons of Jan. 6 defendants and the subsequent withdrawal from international agreements.
Biden also addresses foreign crises, expressing deep personal regret over the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and noting the friction in his relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I was also thinking about the people who wanted me to stay in. The Congressional Black Caucus. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. John Fetterman. Bernie Sanders. Jim Clyburn. Labor.”https://t.co/umqdA7AdwV
