Trump and Biden: what he wrote about a letter, and why ‘two Donald Trumps’ left him stunned

A striking change in tone

Biden described Trump as unusually friendly when he welcomed the then-president-elect to the White House in November 2024. In an excerpt published in The Atlantic, Biden said the warmth caught him off guard and seemed almost excessive.

Biden recalled Trump complimenting his job-creation record and saying he was glad Biden had left the presidential race. On the campaign trail, Trump had used insults including “Sleepy Joe,” making the cordial exchange a sharp contrast.

A meeting that ran long

Biden said Trump suggested the two could have been good friends if politics had not stood between them. Trump reportedly added that they could have spent their time golfing together.

The meeting took place in the Diplomatic Reception Room and was scheduled for 30 minutes. Biden said it continued for nearly two hours, as Trump carried on with the friendly conversation.

Health and the campaign aftermath

Biden said in a Sunday social media post that his health sometimes slows him down and would limit how many conversations he could have about his book. He added that he hoped the book’s words would speak for themselves.

Questions about Biden’s health and mental fitness were prominent late in his second term and during the 2024 campaign. After a debate performance that drew intense scrutiny, Vice President Kamala Harris replaced him as the Democratic nominee and lost the presidential race to Trump.

Critics alleged that Biden’s administration had hidden the extent of his health problems and contributed to the Democrats’ 2024 defeat. Jill Biden later discussed the effect of her husband’s cancer diagnosis while promoting her own book, saying she had reconciled with anger over how the party treated him after the debate.