Biden Says Trump Told Him They Would Be Good Friends
Biden described the exchange in a passage from his memoir, Promise Me, America. He wrote that Trump’s warm tone in the Oval Office surprised him, and recalled Trump saying, “If it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends.” Biden said he was too stunned to respond at first. Trump then suggested they would spend their time golfing together, Biden wrote.
Biden said Trump praised his job-creation record and told him he was relieved not to have faced Biden in the election. Biden wrote that he did not understand why Trump was flattering him and redirected the conversation to business.
The meeting did not allay Biden’s concerns that Trump would undo his policies. In the passage, Biden accused Trump of leading the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol in an effort to stay in power after losing the election. He condemned Trump’s later pardons of nearly 1,600 people convicted for their actions that day, writing that those who attacked law-enforcement officers deserved prison.
Biden also criticized the Supreme Court’s 2024 presidential-immunity ruling, calling it a blow to accountability. Trump’s pardon proclamation described the clemency as ending a grave national injustice. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges brought in the federal January 6 case; after Trump won the 2024 election, special counsel Jack Smith sought to have the case dismissed under Justice Department rules barring prosecution of an incumbent president.
Biden’s memoir is scheduled for release on November 17. He has said cancer treatment will limit his promotion of the book.
Biden’s Account Highlights Trump’s January 6 Pardons
Joe Biden’s account of Donald Trump’s unexpected flattery is striking for the contrast it draws: Trump spoke of friendship in their Oval Office meeting, Biden wrote, while Biden says Trump led an effort to remain in power after losing the 2020 election.
Trump told Biden, “If it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends,” according to the memoir passage. Biden wrote that he was too stunned to respond and that Trump praised his record on job creation. Their discussion took place eight days after the 2024 election, but did not calm Biden’s worry that Trump would dismantle his policies.
Biden’s sharpest criticism concerns Trump’s pardons of nearly 1,600 people convicted for their actions during the January 6, 2021, attack. Biden wrote that those who assaulted law-enforcement officers deserved prison, not clemency, and said the attack should never be forgotten. Trump’s pardon proclamation characterized the move as ending a grave national injustice.
Biden also called the Supreme Court’s 2024 immunity ruling a blow to accountability. The federal case against Trump was dismissed after his 2024 election victory, when special counsel Jack Smith sought dismissal under Justice Department rules barring prosecution of an incumbent president. Trump had denied the charges.
Biden’s memoir, Promise Me, America, is due November 17. He has said cancer treatment will limit his promotion of it.
Biden’s Memoir Revives His Case Against Trump
Joe Biden’s memoir passage turns a friendly exchange with Donald Trump into another argument over January 6, with Biden condemning Trump’s pardons and repeating his accusation that Trump led an effort to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.
Biden recalled Trump saying, “If it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends.” Trump also praised Biden’s job-creation record, Biden wrote. Biden said he was stunned by the flattery and quickly moved the conversation back to business. The meeting took place eight days after the 2024 election.
Biden’s account criticizes Trump for pardoning nearly 1,600 people convicted for their conduct during the Capitol attack. Trump’s proclamation presented the clemency as ending a grave national injustice. The contrast underscores the continuing dispute over how the attack and its prosecutions should be viewed.
Biden also faulted the Supreme Court’s 2024 immunity ruling and described it as damaging accountability. The federal January 6 case against Trump was dropped after his election victory, when special counsel Jack Smith sought dismissal under Justice Department rules barring prosecution of an incumbent president. Trump denied the charges.
Biden’s book is scheduled to come out November 17. He has said cancer treatment will limit his public promotion of it.
Reported by Raw Story, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast.
