Donald Trump, in a farewell letter to his predecessor Joe Biden, who won the 2020 presidential election, wished him success and expressed confidence that he could change the course of history, the New York Times reports.
Biden published the full text of his message for the first time in his new book, Promise Me, America. The letter is dated January 20, 2021, the day of Biden's inauguration. As he notes in his book, Trump left a letter in the Oval Office in an envelope marked "until the 46th" (Biden became the 46th president of the United States). The message was written on official White House letterhead and signed in black marker.
According to Biden, Trump called the work in the Oval Office "a blessing beyond imagination," noting that history is present in every detail, from paintings and sculptures to stairs and hallways. He advised his successor to devote time every day to understand the meaning of his role and to remember his predecessors who determined the course of world history.
"You now have the opportunity to choose your place in history, and I know you will remain true to yourself and the American people," Trump wrote in the letter.