Former president Joe Biden has revealed that Donald Trump told him that if it weren’t for politics, he believed the pair would be “good friends.”
asserted
pair → reveal → politics
Writing in his upcoming memoir Promise Me, America, Biden shared how he was “surprised” at Trump’s “friendly” tone when the Democrat hosted the then-president-elect and his entourage at the White House in November 2024 – and claimed that Trump even complimented his time in office.
asserted
Trump → write → office
The former president claimed that Trump told him his performance on job creation had been “extraordinary” — and that he was relieved he didn’t have to run against him after he dropped out of the presidential race.
asserted
he → claim → race
It marked a significant shift in tone for Trump, who hurled insults, such as “Sleepy Joe,” at his predecessor on the campaign trail.
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who → mark → trail
“Trump was immediately chatty and surprised me by adopting a tone so friendly that I thought he might be putting me on,” Biden wrote in an excerpt from his book published in The Atlantic.
uncertain
Biden → surprise → Atlantic
“It bordered on fawning.”
asserted
It → border → fawning
Biden, 83, recalled that Trump, 80, turned to him and said, “You know, Joe, if it weren’t for politics, I believe we’d be good friends.”
asserted
we → recall → politics
“I think I blinked, too stunned to respond.
asserted
I → think → ?
Then he kept going, as if intoxicated by the curious conversational path he had chosen,” Biden recalled.
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Biden → keep → path
Trump then apparently said to Biden, “Yes, if it weren’t for politics, we’d spend all our time golfing together.”
asserted
we → say → time
The meeting in the Diplomatic Reception Room was scheduled for 30 minutes but ran nearly two hours, according to Biden.
uncertain
meeting → schedule → Biden
Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer last year and said that his health meant he has had to scale back in-person events to promote his memoir.
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he → diagnose → memoir
It hasn't stopped me.
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It → stop → me
But sometimes it slows me down,” Biden said in a social media post Sunday.
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Biden → slow → post
“What that means is, unfortunately, I won’t be able to do as many conversations about my book as I’d hoped.
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I → mean → book
However, I’m hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves.”
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words → ’m → themselves
Concern over Biden’s health and mental fitness dominated the end of his second term and 2024 presidential campaign.
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Concern → dominate → term
After intense scrutiny following a disastrous debate performance against Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in for Biden and mounted an unsuccessful bid for the White House.
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Harris → follow → House
Critics accused the Biden administration of concealing the extent of the president’s health struggles and paving the way for the Democrats’ bruising 2024 loss.
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Critics → accuse → loss
Former first lady Jill Biden opened up about the impact of her husband’s cancer diagnosis while promoting her own book earlier this year.
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Biden → open → book
While she had previously expressed anger over the Democratic Party's treatment of Biden after the debate, she said she has reconciled with those feelings after the diagnosis.
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she → express → diagnosis
“I think Joe’s cancer diagnosis, it really puts life into perspective and you really do appreciate each and every day and a lot of anger that you have
asserted
you → think → that
, you think, ‘What’s the point?’
asserted
point → think → ?
You know, ‘What is the point?’” she said on The View in June.
asserted
she → know → June
“And I think that’s why Joe and I try to, you know, just take each day that comes and try to find the joys.”
asserted
that → think → joys
The Aporia
