Biden gets access to President’s Daily Brief

Joe Biden on Monday got his first look as presidentelect at the President’s Daily Brief, a top secret summary of U.S. intelligence and world events — a document that former first lady Michelle Obama has called “The Death, Destruction, and Horrible Things Book.”

Biden has already had eyes on at least three different iterations of the so-called PDB, which is tailored to the way each president likes to absorb information.

More than a decade ago, Biden read former President George W. Bush’s PDB during his transition into the vice presidency. After that, he read President Barack Obama’s PDB for eight years. Now, after a four-year break, he’s reading President Donald Trump’s PDB.

“The briefers almost certainly will be asking Biden what he prefers in terms of format and style,” said David Priess, author of “The President’s Book of Secrets,” a history of the PDB. “At a minimum, they’re seeing what seems to resonate most with him so that when they make the book his book, they can tailor it to him.”

Obama’s PDB was a 10to 15-page document tucked in a leather binder, which he found waiting for him on the breakfast table. Later in his presidency, he liked reading the ultrasecret intelligence brief on a secured iPad.

From now until Inauguration Day, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be reading the PDB crafted for Trump, who had delayed giving Biden and Harris access to it as he contests the outcome of the election.

Trump, who prefers absorbing information in visual ways, likes short texts and graphics.