Biden expected to leave Trump letter, continuing tradition since Reagan

President Biden plans to leave a letter to President-elect Trump before he departs the White House, according to a report, continuing the modern presidential tradition that first began with President Ronald Reagan.

Biden is expected to leave a note for his successor on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, CNN first reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for confirmation but did not immediately hear back.

Four years after succeeding Trump, Biden finds himself in the unique position, in both history and politics, of writing a letter to his successor who left a note for him four years ago.

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President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump are greeted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, upon their arrival at the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Despite a history of bucking tradition during his first term as president, like attending Biden’s inauguration, Trump curiously continued this rite of presidential passage by writing a letter to Biden.

Biden said it was a “very generous letter,” but has so far declined to share the content of what Trump wrote, deeming it private and saying he wouldn’t discuss it until he had a chance to speak with Trump. 

President Joe Biden, center left, and first lady Jill Biden, left, greet President-elect Donald Trump, center right, and Melania Trump, right, upon arriving at the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump has also declined to share details, saying he thought it was up to Biden to share the letter.

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“It was a nice note,” Trump said during a September 2023 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” adding, “I took a lot of time in thinking about it.”

Trump had received what he has described as a “beautiful letter” from his predecessor, President Barack Obama. 

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump as they arrive at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025, before departing for the U.S. Capitol where Trump will be sworn in as the 47th US President.   (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)

Obama told Trump they were both blessed with good fortune, that American leadership “really is indispensable” in the world, that they are the “guardians” of democratic institutions and traditions, and that family and friends will see him through the “inevitable rough patches.”

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When Trump takes office on Monday, he’ll be the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s, when the letter-writing tradition didn’t exist.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.