Biden and Harris get their 1st look at Trump's top-secret presidential briefing

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris got their first look Monday at the top-secret President's Daily Brief since winning the 2020 election. President Trump had delayed Biden's access to the PDB, the intelligence community's daily classified summary of secrets and world events, as he contested his loss. Biden was given access to the document in Wilmington, Delaware, while Harris viewed it in a secure room at the Commerce Department.

The PDB is tailored to every president's preferences, and Biden has now seen the top-secret briefings prepared for Presidents Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush. Trump is believed to favor short texts and ample graphics, and he reportedly doesn't always read his print briefing, The Associated Press notes. Obama liked a 10- to 15-page document waiting for him at the breakfast table, before switching to a secured iPad. However it's delivered, the PDB isn't light reading or enjoyable.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.