WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said his predecessor, Donald Trump, left him a “very generous letter” before leaving Washington before its inauguration on Wednesday.
Biden told reporters in Oval desk: “The president wrote a very generous letter. Because he was private, I won’t talk about it until I talk to him. ”
The comments came after Biden signed three executive actions, including a requirement for face masks on federal property and a measure that would reintroduce the US into the Paris Climate Agreement.
The signing was the first availability of Biden’s press in the oval office, where some decorations from the previous administration were replaced. He sat at the Resolute office, the same Trump office, Barack Obama and a few other presidents used it. The busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F Kennedy, whose careers inspired Biden’s public service work, flanked the room’s fireplace.
On a table behind the desk were pictures of Biden’s family and a bust of working leader Cesar Chavez.
Trump left Washington early Wednesday and arrived at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, before Biden vowed to replace him at the White House.
After signing the shares, Biden swore at about 1,000 politicians named to the White House and federal agencies, who participated by video conference in the Eastern Hall.
“We must restore the soul of this country and I rely on all of you,” he said. “I got to a point where, in my opinion, the American people – the blinds were removed.”
He said the government’s coronavirus vaccination program will be “the most important logistical thing ever done in the United States” and that his administration “can deal with this existential threat of climate change.”
But he also urged his nominees to lead with “an essential American value: humility and trust.”
“If you ever work with me and I hear you treating another colleague with disrespect, talk to someone, I’ll fire you right away. Without ifs, ands or buts, “Biden said.” Everyone has the right to be treated with decency and dignity. This has been largely lacking for the last four years. ”
In response to a question from a reporter, Biden said he was not worried about the confirmation of his cabinet nominations. The Senate has not yet filled any of its cabinet positions.