President Donald Trump reportedly told former president Joe Biden that he believed the two of them would be “good friends” if it weren’t for politics, according to Biden’s upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America.
According to excerpts published by The Atlantic, Biden, 83, said that Trump, 80, made the surprising comment during their transition meeting at the White House on November 13th, 2024, eight days after the election. And that wasn’t all, as Trump also reportedly complimented Biden’s time in office, leaving him “too stunned to respond.” Keep reading to find out more…
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Donald Trump Reportedly Told Joe Biden They Would Be 'Good Friends' If It 'Weren't For Politics'
Biden wrote that Trump was "immediately chatty" during their meeting, which began with a greeting in the Diplomatic Reception Room before moving to the Oval Office. He said the meeting was originally scheduled for 30 minutes, but ended up lasting nearly two hours.
According to Biden, Trump told him: "You know, Joe, if it weren't for politics, I believe we'd be good friends." And he didn't stop there! Trump reportedly went on to say: "Yes, if it weren't for politics, we'd spend all our time golfing together."
"I think I blinked, too stunned to respond," Biden wrote in the memoir, adding: "Then he kept going, as if intoxicated by the curious conversational path he had chosen."
Biden also claimed that Trump described his performance on job creation as "extraordinary" and admitted that he was relieved he hadn't had to run against him after Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
The former president recalled being unsure why Trump was "buttering [him] up," so he cut off the compliments and steered the conversation toward more pressing global and national issues, including Ukraine, NATO, Russia, and the Middle East.
"Trump was immediately chatty and surprised me by adopting a tone so friendly that I thought he might be putting me on," Biden wrote, adding: "It bordered on fawning."
Donald Trump's Previous Insults About Joe Biden
Trump's surprisingly friendly comments are a stark contrast to some of the things he has said about Biden over the years. After all, the president has repeatedly referred to his former political rival as "Sleepy Joe" and "Crooked Joe," while also questioning his intelligence and ability to lead the country.
During a campaign rally in Ohio in March 2024, Trump described Biden as "the worst president we've ever had" and "incompetent." He also mocked his ability to speak and walk off a stage. And in an April 2024 Truth Social post, Trump called Biden "the most incompetent president in the history of our country" and "the most corrupt president in the history of our country."
The insults didn't stop when Biden left office, either. In an April 2025 Truth Social post, Trump once again referred to him as "Sleepy Joe Biden" and "the worst president in the history of the United States," before accusing him of allowing "millions and millions of Criminals, many of them murderers, drug dealers, and people released from prisons and mental institutions from all around the world, to enter our Country through it’s very dangerous and ill-conceived Open Border."
He added: "Sorry, but it’s my job to get these killers and thugs out of here. That's what I got elected to do. MAGA."
Joe Biden Shares Health Update Amid Prostate Cancer Battle
This isn't the only Biden news making headlines, as the former president has also issued an update on his cancer diagnosis.
Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer last year, and recently revealed that his health has forced him to scale back his plans to promote his upcoming memoir, which is set to be released on November 17th.
On Sunday, November 8th, the former president said on social media: "My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I've responded to treatment. And the prayers and kind words and well wishes from so many of you have meant more to me and Jill and our family than you can ever know. Some days are better than others. It hasn't stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down."
He continued: "What that means is, unfortunately, I won't be able to do as many conversations about my book as I'd hoped. However, I'm hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves."
