Ronald Reagan scribbled a note in 1989 to his successor above an elephant cartoon. The tradition, started perhaps inadvertently, was continued by Joe Biden.

Ronald Reagan started a tradition as he prepared to leave office after two terms as president: Write a note congratulating your successor and leave it in the Oval Office desk drawer.

The tradition of the outgoing president leaving the incoming president a letter started with Ronald Reagan in 1989. Reagan left a note for his successor George H.W. Bush, who served as his vice president for eight years. President Trump left a note for Biden when Biden took office in 2021, but the contents of the letter have never been shared.

"Maybe we should all read it together," Trump told reporters upon finding Biden's letter. "Maybe I'll read it first and then make that determination."

The coalition collapse that doomed Biden follows a grim precedent set by another Democratic leader: Jimmy Carter.

The rug, which was in place during Ronald Reagan’s administration and during Trump’s first term, was reinstalled during Trump’s inauguration ceremony, according to CBS News. The Resolute Desk had to be partially disassembled in order to facilitate its return.

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, he has built the most formidable foundation of Republican electoral strength since the Ronald Reagan era in the 1980s.

The second Presential inauguration of Donald Trump averaged 24.3 million viewers, a audience lower than Biden in 2021 (33.8 million) and Trump in 2017 (30.6 million).

In his first hours as president, Trump signed numerous executive orders to implement his administration's promises.

Trump came out swinging in his inaugural address, calling Jan. 20, 2025, “Liberation Day,” and vowing sweeping changes via a series of executive actions.