Biden's Memoir Accuses Trump of Leading Insurrection and Misusing Pardons
In a new book excerpt, the former president argues that the January 6 pardons shielded criminals and criticizes Trump's post-election demeanor.
By Giulia Marshall ·
Former President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump an insurrection leader in a book excerpt published Monday, claiming the actions from January 6, 2021, should haunt him for the rest of his life. The passage appears in Biden’s upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, which is scheduled for release on November 17.
Biden specifically attacked Trump’s recent decision to grant sweeping pardons to defendants from the Capitol attack. The former president wrote that the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers deserved prison sentences rather than executive clemency. He added that Trump and his allies continue to act like friends of law enforcement despite their history of physical clashes with police.
“You don’t get to turn a blind eye to cops being punched, speared, sprayed, and brutalized and call yourself a friend of law enforcement,” Biden wrote in the excerpt for The Atlantic. He stated that what Trump did on January 6, 2021, should never be forgotten.
The former president also detailed his final meeting with Trump after the 2024 election. Biden described Trump’s tone as bordering on fawning during the approximately two-hour session. Trump told Biden that they would be good friends if not for politics and praised Biden’s job creation record as extraordinary. Biden said he was too stunned to respond to the compliments and quickly moved on to briefing Trump on global issues.
Biden noted a pattern in Trump’s behavior during the meeting, observing that the president focused on the personalities of world leaders rather than the substance of global problems. He described the interaction as resembling gossip at a dinner party rather than a serious discussion of state affairs.
Trump acknowledged in a September interview with Time magazine that he was considering pardoning members of his administration before his term ended, citing Biden’s precedent. Biden had issued preemptive pardons to his son Hunter, members of the congressional January 6 committee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley.
Biden announced Sunday that his cancer treatment would limit his ability to promote the new book. He told followers on X that some days are better than others and that the illness slows him down but has not stopped him. The White House has been contacted for comment on the excerpt.
