Former President Joe Biden, with the unique distinction of being both the successor to and predecessor of President Donald Trump, had a lot to say about that in his new book, “Promise Me, America.”
‘Dismissive and Destructive’
President Donald J. Trump greets the crowd in Medora, North Dakota, after arriving on the Freedom 250 Train en route to the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald J. Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, attends a roundtable for the American mining industry, Friday, August 7, 2026, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
Given their political and personal differences, the picture Biden paints of Trump is unflattering.
In one instance, the former commander-in-chief recounts Trump’s — who was then president-elect — visit to the Oval Office following the latter’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
The visit was supposed to be formal, with the outgoing president briefing his successor on key policy and national security matters.
Instead of a formal meeting that should have lasted 30 minutes, Biden said that Trump’s “chattiness” extended the meeting to two hours, during which the latter was more intent on the personalities of world leaders than on issues such as the war in Ukraine, NATO, relations with China, and more. Biden said he feared “the dismissive and destructive nature of Donald Trump, who seemed unable to tolerate the idea that someone else’s accomplishments might be worth building on rather than tearing down.”
Biden also brought up the issue of the January 6, 2021 protests at the Capitol, accusing Trump of “leading an insurrection” and bemoaning the president’s pardoning of close to 1,600 people who were charged for their participation in the riots.
“That was an insult to the Capitol Police, and to all Americans who believe in the sanctity of our democratic elections,” Biden wrote.
Trump Casts Doubt on Midterm Election Results
In a seeming vindication of some of Biden’s words, Trump has attempted to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the results of the midterm elections, which saw the Democrats win over swing states and even flip established Republican bailiwicks.
“Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest [sic]?” the president posted on Truth Social. “How could the Polls be so wrong??? …It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter! President DJT,” he added.
Political commentators remarked that Trump’s comments were inevitable and a rehash of claims he has made whenever he finds himself in the loser’s seat. One of the more surprising repudiations of Trump’s most recent election fraud claims came from conservative commentator and host Megyn Kelly, who posted a screenshot of the president’s Truth Social post with the comment, “Just stop.”
Good Timing, Questionable Presidency
The timing seems ripe for the release of Biden’s book, given the Democrats’ recent upset of Republicans in the most recent midterm elections.
However, it could also be seen as an attempt to prop up what many Americans believe to be a lackluster presidency. A Gallup survey showed that more than half of Americans believed Biden would be remembered as a “poor” or “below average” chief executive, with ratings similar to former president Richard Nixon.
The Biden presidency was rife with challenges, chief among them economic ones — the aftermath of the pandemic, high inflation, and allegations of cognitive decline due to his advanced age. Biden has also had to respond to allegations that he was not honest about his health issues, which caused a last-minute change to the Democrats’ front-runner for the 2024 presidential election, which many believe to be a contributing factor to Trump’s victory.
Biden Gets Bad News on Prostate Cancer
Biden revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May of last year, just a few months shy of the end of his term as president.
Since then, his son Hunter has revealed that the former president — who was the oldest person to hold the American presidency — is worse off than he was before; the cancer has metastasized to his bones and other organs.
“It’s really sad to watch,” Hunter Biden said of his father, now 83, who he said continues to speak publicly about important issues Americans are facing. This includes promoting his new book, but the elder Biden said that his health issues have severely limited his promotional activities and the “conversations” about his presidential memoir.
“Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down,” the former president posted on social media.
Biden’s new book is set to be released on November 17.
About the Author: Tim Ramos
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations, covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
