US President Donald Trump and former US President Joe Biden [Getty Images]
US President Donald Trump and former US President Joe Biden [Getty Images]

Former US President Joe Biden has launched a sharp attack on President Donald Trump in his newly released memoir.

According to the AP, Biden's memoir "Promise Me, America," excerpted in The Atlantic, criticizes Trump for running an administration that has "torn down institutions and stoked hatred," causing serious damage to the United States and the world, Yonhap reported.

Biden argued that the lies Trump spread for years in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — which followed Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election — "must never be forgotten and will follow him to the grave."

Biden said the riot was "led by Donald Trump" and that "his goal was to hold onto power even though the American people had voted to remove him."

On Trump's decision during his second term to pardon more than 1,500 people who took part in the riot, Biden said, "The rioters were not peaceful protesters."

Biden also reflected in the memoir on his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office shortly after the 2020 presidential election.

According to Biden, Trump told him, "Joe. If it weren't for politics, we could be great friends."

Biden said he briefed Trump on the broad state of world affairs — including the war in Ukraine, NATO alliances, the Israel-Gaza conflict and US-China relations — but that Trump focused more on the personal character of world leaders than on the substance of international relations.

On his battle with prostate cancer, Biden said he has been encouraged by his medical team's response to treatment, but added, "Some days are better than others, and some days the pace slows down."

He also hinted at limits on his ability to promote the book, saying his health means he will not be able to "have as many conversations about the book as I would have liked."

Obama keeps up pressure on Trump

Former US President Barack Obama [Getty Images]
Former US President Barack Obama [Getty Images]

Former President Barack Obama has also repeatedly taken aim at Trump during the recent midterm election season.

The Democratic Party deployed Obama aggressively in competitive districts.

The Guardian reported Nov. 1 that while Obama risks being seen as a figure of a bygone era and has faced criticism for not delivering as much change as hoped during his presidency, he still plays a major role in rallying the progressive base and winning over undecided voters in the final stretch.

At a campaign event in the battleground state of Georgia, Obama argued that the midterm elections represented "the last and best chance to check the foolishness of President Trump and this administration," urging supporters, "We need to turn this around."

David Litt, a former White House speechwriter in the Obama administration, said: "President Obama is living rent-free in Trump's head. Trump should be talking about his own accomplishments on the campaign trail, but because of what the former president has been saying, he's back to talking about banquet hall renovations."


yul@heraldcorp.com