
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday disclosed to Fox News the contents of the letter left for him by former President Joe Biden upon his departure from the Oval Office.
The letter, addressed to "Dear President Trump," was discovered in the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Trump came across it on Monday with assistance from Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
"As I take leave of this sacred office I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years. The American people — and people around the world — look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that in the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation,” the letter reads.
"May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding."
The letter was signed "Joe Biden" and dated January 20, 2025.
Trump had located the letter, a white envelope marked "47," after Doocy inquired about its existence during a signing of executive orders in the Oval Office.
"He may have. Don’t they leave it in the desk? I don’t know," Trump responded to Doocy before finding the letter. "Thank you, Peter. It could have been years before we found this thing."
The following day, Trump provided additional comments to reporters about the letter’s contents.
"It was a very nice letter," Trump remarked. "It was a little bit of an inspirational-type letter. Enjoy it, do a good job. Important, very important. How important the job is."
He continued, "It was a positive, for him, in writing it. I appreciated the letter."
The longstanding presidential tradition of leaving a letter for one’s successor dates back to 1989 when President Ronald Reagan penned a note to incoming President George H. W. Bush.