The key facts
- Biden described the November 13, 2024 meeting with Trump in his memoir, an excerpt of which was published by The Atlantic
- According to Biden, Trump spoke about friendship and playing golf together, and also called his job-creation achievements outstanding
- Biden wanted to discuss Russia, Ukraine, NATO, China, and the Middle East, but Trump was more interested in the personalities of world leaders
An invitation under the tradition of transferring power
Former US President Joe Biden, in his memoir 'Promise Me, America,' described his meeting with Donald Trump held on November 13, 2024, at the White House. Biden invited the president-elect in keeping with the tradition of transferring power. An excerpt from the book was published by The Atlantic magazine; a summary is provided by Life.ru.
A conversation about friendship and golf
According to Biden's recollections, Trump behaved so amiably from the very first minutes that his interlocutor suspected a prank. 'You know, Joe, if it weren't for politics, I think we'd be good friends,' the former president quotes Trump as saying. Trump, according to Biden, went on: 'Yes, if it weren't for politics, we'd spend all our time playing golf together.' Biden admitted he was stunned and did not immediately find a reply. Trump also called Biden's achievements in job creation outstanding and, in Biden's words, seemed relieved to learn of his decision not to run in the election.
The agenda: two hours instead of half an hour
After exchanging pleasantries, the politicians moved on to the transfer of power and international matters. Biden wanted to discuss Russia, Ukraine, NATO, China, and the Middle East, but, by his account, Trump was more interested in the personalities and relationships of world leaders. The meeting, originally planned for half an hour, lasted nearly two hours; Biden himself compared part of the conversation to discussing acquaintances at a dinner party.
Context
Life.ru previously reported that a former Biden administration staffer joined Trump's team: Shelli Greenspan has been appointed head of external relations for the presidential Peace Council with responsibilities for liaising with Congress, think tanks, and representatives of both parties. The content of the memoir consists of Biden's personal recollections published as an excerpt; Trump's own account of the meeting is not presented in the cited publications.
