Trump Asked Biden About Putin and Xi Jinping During Their Meeting at the White House, According to a New York Times Book
In November 2024, then-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who had defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the election, expressed interest in Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.
According to the publication, during the conversation, Biden tried to discuss key foreign policy issues with Trump, but Trump, as noted, “had not yet begun to focus on the details.”
Instead, he interrupted his interlocutors and asked questions about the personal qualities of world leaders he had dealt with during his first presidential term, specifically Putin and Xi Jinping.
The book quotes Trump as saying during the meeting: “What’s he like? Can you negotiate with him? What’s Putin like now? What’s Xi like now?”
It also notes that despite his political rivalry with Biden, Trump behaved politely and with restraint during the meeting. In particular, according to the authors, he “warmly assured Biden that he had had a successful presidency” and also promised that he “would not do anything that could harm his son,” Hunter Biden.
Later, toward the end of his presidency, Joe Biden pardoned his son, who had been suspected of tax evasion and faced up to 17 years in prison.
On June 28, Trump called the book “largely fictional” and full of fake information on the social media platform Truth Social. He also sharply criticized Maggie Haberman, calling her a “third-rate writer” who, in his words, “made a first-class income thanks to your favorite president—that is, me.”
The book *Regime Change: Inside Donald Trump’s Imperial Presidency* sold over 300,000 copies in its first week. The book describes the first 14 months of Trump’s second presidential term, including his military decisions, the use of the Justice Department’s powers against political opponents, conversations with influential figures, and decisions regarding changes to the White House structure.
This is detailed in the book *Regime Change* by *The New York Times* journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, which was released on June 23, according to *People* magazine.
Earlier, former U.S. President Joe Biden issued a sharp public criticism of current White House chief Donald Trump, calling him the most corrupt head of state in American history.
Former First Lady Jill Biden reported that her husband, former U.S. President Joe Biden, is in stable condition, but due to the spread of the disease, his chances of a full recovery remain low.
