Donald Trump has provided a glimpse into a ‘very important’ note he found written by former US President Joe Biden.
During an Oval Office ceremony in the White House’s West Wing on Monday (January 20), Donald Trump, the 47th President of the US, stumbled upon a handwritten note in a desk from Joe Biden.
An excerpt from Forbes Breaking News captured the moment when a journalist inquired if Trump had received a message from Biden, leading Trump to search the desk drawers.
Upon quickly finding a letter marked with the number ’47,’ Trump remarked, “It could have been years before we found it. Wow, thank you.”
“[…] Peter thank you very much, I may’ve not seen this for months,” Trump added.
Trump mentioned that he ‘left [Biden] one in the desk just like this’ after his tenure as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
When asked about the contents of his letter to Biden, Trump conveyed, “The unification of our country.”
But what was in Biden’s letter to Trump?
Without disclosing much detail, Trump shared, “It said, ‘To Number 47’.”
He continued, “It was a very nice one […] just basically a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it. Do a good job. Important, very important how important the job is.”
While the exact content of the letter remains largely unknown, the tradition of passing wisdom to the next president is well-established in US presidential history.
This practice of writing a letter to the incoming president began in 1989 with Ronald Reagan, the 40th US President.
Reagan, who served from 1981 to 1989, left a letter for his vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush, upon his departure.
The letter was penned on personalized stationery that already featured the phrase, “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.”
It continued, “Dear George, You’ll have moments when you want to use this particular stationary. Well, go to it.
“George, I treasure the memories we share and I wish you all the very best. You’ll be in my prayers. God bless you & Barbara. I’ll miss our Thursday lunches. Ron.”
Additionally, the letter included a drawing of an elephant surrounded by turkeys.