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Donald Trump refused to concede the election to Joe Biden after losing by over 7 million votes—twice the amount he lost to Hillary Clinton by in 2016—and losing the electoral college by 74 votes. Trump was unsurprisingly absent at Biden's inauguration.
Instead, Trump went to a private club in Florida following a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. But there was one presidential tradition the former President engaged in before exiting the Oval Office for good.
He left a personal note for the incoming commander-in-chief.
Outgoing Presidents usually leave notes for incoming Presidents on or in the desk inside the Oval Office to congratulate them and give encouraging words or advice in their new role.
The contents of these notes remain confidential before they are eventually released to the National Archives. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump left the private message for Biden on Wednesday.
Deere stated:
"It's a letter between 45 and 46."
While we have yet to learn details about Trump's personal message to his successor, President Biden did later confirm receipt of the letter and commented:
"The President wrote a very generous letter. Because it was private, I won't talk about it until I talk to him. But it was generous."
As the public awaits the revelation of Trump's parting words, Twitter had their assumptions about what 45 scribbled for Biden to read.
The results are pure comedy.
There was also no shortage of memes, starting with this one referencing the movie, Back To The Future.
For his departing note, President George W. Bush warned incoming President Barack Obama there would be "trying moments" during his presidency but also comforted him with the following words.
"You will have an Almighty God to comfort you, a family who loves you, and a country that is pulling for you, including me. "
In 2017, Obama followed the tradition and told Trump that Presidents are "just temporary" occupants of the West Wing.
He added:
"That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions—like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties—that our forebears fought and bled for."
"Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it's up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them."
The known note-giving tradition began with former President Ronald Reagan for his Vice President George H.W. Bush.
Reagan wrote, "Don't let the turkeys get you down," on stationery accompanied with a depiction of an elephant surrounded by said birds.
It's possible notes were left by prior administrations, but Reagan's was the first released to the National Archives.