“Courteous” meeting between Biden and Trump, who continues to form his team

A courteous tone between two men who hate each other: Joe Biden received Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, where the Republican, now with total control of Congress, will take office for good on January 20.

The president-elect continued to announce appointments at a rapid pace on Wednesday, entrusting key positions to loyalists, some of whom are highly controversial, such as the radical right-wing elected official Matt Gaetz, whom he wants to see head the Justice Department.

After shaking hands with the outgoing head of state in the Oval Office, the 45th and soon to be 47th American president declared that the transition would be “the smoothest possible”.

The two men, seated by a fireplace, made very short statements before meeting for nearly two hours with their respective chiefs of staff.

“We will do everything possible to make sure that you have everything that you need,” said Joe Biden, who in recent years has very often described Donald Trump as a danger to American democracy.

He wished him a “welcome back” to the most famous office in the world, which Donald Trump already held from 2017 to 2021.

“Politics is tough, and often it's not a very pleasant world. But it's a pleasant world today and I'm grateful,” said the Republican, author of the most extraordinary comeback in recent political history with his resounding victory in the presidential election on March 5 November.

– Call to support Ukraine –

US President-elect Donald Trump (L) and outgoing President Joe Biden (R) at the White House in Washington, November 13, 2024 © AFP – SAUL LOEB

The meeting was “very cordial” and “very courteous” as well as “incredibly substantive,” according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, who did not give much indication of the content of the discussions.

The outgoing president “stressed that, in his view, the United States' continued support for Ukraine (was) in the interest of our national security,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

Joe Biden makes a point of honoring all the democratic practices that his predecessor, and now also successor, had blown up.

Donald Trump, who has constantly contested his defeat in 2020 against Joe Biden, never invited the Democrat to the White House for this traditional handover meeting, and has then boycotted the inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2021.

The Republican could dismantle a good part of Joe Biden's record, especially since he now has a comfortable grip on the levers of power.

The Republican Party has in fact retained its majority in the House of Representatives, after taking control of the Senate, the other component of Congress.

Donald Trump can also count on a Supreme Court firmly anchored on the right, which in July recognized a broad presumption of criminal immunity for presidents of the United States.

In recent days, he has made a series of appointments, some of them sensational, such as that of the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, to head a commission responsible for cutting public spending.

– The hard right at Justice –

Image combination created on November 13, 2024 showing Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (L) nominated to lead the intelligence community, in Westerville, Ohio, on October 15, 2019; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (C) nominated to be Secretary of State, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024; and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (D), nominated for Attorney General, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024 © AFP – SAUL LOEB, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced that he was appointing Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic Party defector and former military officer known for her pro-Russia and pro-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad positions, to head up the intelligence community.

But the most notable announcement was that of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a loyalist among loyalists, for the highly sensitive post of Attorney General. Accused of having had a sexual relationship with a minor, this representative of the hard right has always denied it, saying he is a victim of the establishment.

“Matt will put an end to the instrumentalization of our administration,” said Donald Trump, himself convicted of criminal charges, who accuses the current Justice Department of fomenting a “witch hunt” against him, and who threatened during his campaign to pursue his political opponents.

Donald Trump also confirmed on Wednesday his desire to entrust Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a hardliner on China, with the post of head of diplomacy.

The president-elect first went before Republican parliamentarians on Wednesday, to whom he raised the possibility of running for the White House at the end of his second term. mandate, which is prohibited by the American Constitution.

“I think I will not run again, unless you say to yourselves 'he is good, we must consider something else',” he declared to the laughter of the audience.

All rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse