Fact Check: Trump's letter to Biden circulating on social media are fake
Various versions of the said letter have been doing the rounds of social media. One such letter in circulation merely reads, Joe, you know I won
By Satya Priya BN Published on 21 Jan 2021 4:19 PM IST
Hyderabad: Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States of America on 20 January. Donald Trump shunned most of the traditional roles of a sitting President for the inauguration of his successor, except that he left a letter for Biden.
Various versions of the said letter have been doing the rounds of social media. One such letter in circulation merely reads, "Joe, you know I won."
Another Twitter user also shared Trump's letter. This one read, "Dear Joe, Can I get a pardon? Thanks."
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Fact Check:
The letters circulating on social media are NOT written by Donald Trump.
Though it is true that Trump left a letter for Biden, the details about the letter are unknown. The contents of the letter are not publicly known and it has not been released by the White House.
Several media reports quoted Biden as saying that former President Donald Trump had left him a "very generous letter" before departing the White House.
US Presidents usually leave a note of congratulations and support behind in the Oval Office for the incoming President. Some people had, however, questioned whether Trump would do so given his hesitancy to even acknowledge Biden's victory.
Later, on 20 January, Biden confirmed he had received a letter, continuing a cordial tradition that goes back to at least the 1980s. He told reporters from the Oval Office that the note was "very generous".
Biden said, "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."
According to CNN, Biden, speaking from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office after signing executive orders on day one of his presidency, said he would not immediately reveal the contents of the letter out of respect for Trump.
All media outlets clarified that the contents of the letter are private.
Therefore, the viral claims made on social media are FALSE.
