President Donald TrumpWhile signing a series of executive orders from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House as the now 47th President of the United States, with the help of a Fox News reporter, he discovered a letter from his predecessor in one of the drawers of the desk.
Trump was in the middle of signing one of several executive orders Monday after returning to the White House when Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked if President Biden had left a letter for him.
‘Maybe. Don’t they leave it on the desk? I don’t know,” Trump told Doocy before discovering a white envelope with the number “47” written on it. ‘Thanks, Peter. It could take years for us to find this thing.”
Trump then teased everyone in the room by suggesting they all read the letter together before pulling back the reins.
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US President Donald Trump holds up the letter from outgoing President Joe Biden as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025. (Jim WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“Well, maybe I’ll read it first and then make up my mind,” the president said again thank the White House correspondent.
“Happy to help pass the torch,” Doocy said.
Trump was then asked if he left one for Biden, and he said he left one in the desk just like Biden did.
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President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
By leaving the letter for Trump, Biden loved with the now 36-year tradition of the outgoing commander-in-chief writing a note to the new president.
When he left the White House in 1989 after two terms, President Ronald Reagan started the tradition by leaving a note for his successor, George HW Bush, who also happened to be his vice president.
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Four years later, despite losing to the then government. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and outgoing President Bush left Clinton a note in the Oval Office. The tradition has continued to this day.
