Donald Trump in Washington for a seduction operation

Photo: Nathan Howard Getty Images via Agence France-Presse Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump leaves the Capitol Hill Club after delivering a speech to the House Republican Conference on Thursday, June 13.

Camille Camdessus – Agence France-Presse in Washington

Posted at 1:28 p.m.

• United States

Two weeks after his criminal conviction, Donald Trump is traveling to Washington on Thursday for a major charm offensive with Republican parliamentarians and business owners.

The former president very rarely visits the American federal capital, a city that he abhors and where a new trial awaits him.

The Republican, candidate for the November presidential election against outgoing Democratic Joe Biden, arrived early in the morning, with his fist raised, to a meeting with parliamentarians from his party.

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A breakfast organized just a stone's throw from the Capitol, the seat of the American Congress, stormed by his supporters in January 2021, and where Donald Trump has not visited since.

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Surrounded by Republican parliamentarians, the tempestuous septuagenarian discussed his legal troubles at length, according to a Republican leader, but also spoke about abortion, a highly sensitive issue in the middle of the electoral campaign.

Donald Trump, for his part, spoke of a “super meeting”.

The chaos of the Capitol

In the afternoon, Donald Trump, who left Washington with a bang in 2021, is due to meet Republican senators, and in particular the conservative tenor Mitch McConnell.

Relations between the two men have been frosty since the assault on the Capitol.

On that cold January day, thousands of Donald Trump supporters attacked the headquarters of the US Congress in an attempt to oppose the certification of Joe Biden's election, causing unimaginable chaos.

Mitch McConnell, leader of the Republicans, then had very strong words towards Donald Trump, accusing him of being “responsible” for the assault.< /p>

However, this did not prevent the octogenarian senator from rallying behind the Republican's candidacy for the presidential election.

« I said three years ago, right after the attack on the Capitol, that I would support our [Republican] candidate, whoever he was, including him [Donald Trump],” he explained during of a press conference this week.

“Not capable of managing a fair stand”

In the midst of all these exchanges with parliamentarians, Donald Trump will also meet the leaders of the largest American companies, members of the Business Roundtable organization.

The pressure group, which represents the bosses of Amazon, Apple or McDonald's, regularly takes positions on subjects directly concerning its members, such as taxation or international trade agreements, but also on broader societal subjects, such as violence against minorities.

Joe Biden was also invited to an exchange with these bosses, but the Democratic president is currently traveling to Italy, to attend a G7 summit.

In front of these big business leaders, Donald Trump will detail how his program “will offer tax cuts, record deregulation, fair trade, abundant energy and low inflation” , said those around him.

“Donald Trump wouldn't even be able to manage a fair stand, let alone our country,” retorted a spokesperson for Joe Biden's campaign team, James Singer.

“He is a conman, a conman, a failed businessman, and a president who left America in ruins. »