Key facts
- Jill Biden's memoir details an interaction with Melania Trump on Inauguration Day.
- Biden wrote that Trump repeatedly tried to change the conversation to the weather.
- Biden described the car ride as 'frosty.'
- The memoir is titled 'View from the East Wing.'
- The customary tea invitation between incoming and outgoing First Ladies did not occur after the 2020 election.
Jill Biden's new memoir, 'View from the East Wing,' published this week, includes an anecdote about a car ride with Melania Trump on Inauguration Day. Biden described the ride as 'frosty' and noted that Trump 'kept trying to switch the topic to the weather.' This interaction occurred during the customary transfer of power, where the outgoing and incoming First Ladies travel in a separate car. Biden wrote that she had few interactions with Melania Trump over the years, and the traditional post-election tea invitation between them did not happen after the 2020 election. The memoir also mentions brief meetings at the funerals of Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter and a phone call after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. The car ride to the Capitol was accompanied by John Bessler, who attempted to ease the tension by asking questions about Barron Trump's university experience and inquiring about Melania Trump's father's health. Biden also mentioned trying to steer the conversation away from weather by commenting on military dogs in the cold.