Donald Trump wishes Joe Biden luck ahead of inauguration
President Biden now sits in the Oval Office, having taken over from Donald Trump in a record-breaking vote last November. Mr Trump was ousted by more than 80 million Americans last year but never seemed willing to accept the results, instead resorting to claims of election fraud. But while the handover ultimately lost some geniality, the outgoing President left a more positive private congratulations to his successor.
Did Donald Trump write a letter to Joe Biden?
Last year’s presidential election left a bad taste in the mouths of millions of Americans, due mostly to false allegations of widespread election fraud perpetrated by Mr Trump and his allies.
These allegations culminated in deadly riots at the US Capitol on January 6, after which Mr Trump refused to attend Mr Biden’s inauguration.
He left the White House this morning and boarded Air Force One for Mar-a-Lago, Florida, before President Biden’s noon inauguration.
We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
The nature of their handover will have left people thinking little good faith remained between the pair.
But while he didn’t take part in the inauguration, he did observe another presidential tradition.
Outgoing presidents have founded an enduring custom of addressing letters to their successors.
The letters, left on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, provide a brief note of congratulations or advice to a new administration.
Generally, these include kind words and preserve the classy nature of the exchange of power.
George HW Bush, for example, told Bill Clinton: “Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.”
Similarly, Barack Obama left a note for Mr Trump, stating regardless of politics, “it’s up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.”
Mr Trump seems to have paid the favour forward with a note of his own to Mr Biden.
DON’T MISS
Biden to see Brexit Britain as ‘unique opportunity’ for US-UK links – ANALYSIS
Lewis Hamilton sends message to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – INSIGHT
Lily Allen attacks Donald Trump with foul-mouthed ‘F*** you’ – VIDEO
Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s White House correspondent, revealed a summary Mr Biden gave about the letter.
He didn’t reveal much about the contents of the letter, but said it was “generous”.
He said: “The President wrote a very generous letter.
“Because it was private, I won’t talk about it until I talk to him. But it was generous.”
Trump spokesman Judd Deere also confirmed the President had placed a letter on the Resolute Desk.
But, like Mr Biden, he did not divulge the contents of the note.
The tradition started with Ronald Reagan, who left a humourous note for George HW Bush.
Written on stationery which depicted an elephant surrounded by turkeys and read “don’t let the turkeys get you down”, Mr Raegan advised him he would have “moments when you want to use this particular stationary” and told him to “go for it”.
Source: Read Full Article