Trump received Wednesday at the White House, first step of a historic transition

The transition to the presidency of Donald Trump is being prepared: the Republican will be received on Wednesday in the Oval Office by Joe Biden, who has promised a “peaceful” transfer of power, and is beginning to talk about the composition of his future administration.

Two days after the Republican's resounding victory over Kamala Harris, the American president had promised to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to his worst political enemy, hoping to “lower the temperature” in a country on edge.

Hardly beaten after a bitter campaign, the Democratic vice-president had also assured that she intended to “help” Donald Trump during this period.

The meeting at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Wednesday in the Oval Office will be the first step in this transition, before the start of his term on January 20.

A very different situation from 2020, when Donald Trump refused to recognize his defeat and boycotted Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony. And this after his supporters stormed the Capitol, the temple of American democracy, to prevent the certification of the Democrat's victory on January 6, 2021.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Milkwaukee on July 18, 2024 © AFP – ANGELA WEISS

Four years later, the real estate mogul, who was the target of two assassination attempts during the campaign and was charged and convicted in criminal and civil proceedings, is making an incredible comeback to the White House.

His first term was marked by a series of ministers and advisers who successively fell from grace. The question now is what the Trump administration will look like 2.

He made his first major appointment on Thursday: Susie Wiles, the architect of his campaign, will be his chief of staff, an ultra-strategic post that has never been held by a woman.

The rest should be announced in the coming weeks. RFK Jr., the assassinated president's nephew and a former independent candidate who rallied to Donald Trump, could be given responsibilities in public health.

Joe Biden at the White House on November 7, 2024 © AFP – SAUL LOEB

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Another key figure should be billionaire Elon Musk, who campaigned very actively for Donald Trump. The president-elect could task the world's richest man with profoundly reorganizing the federal administration.

The Republican, however, indicated on his Truth Social network on Saturday that he would not recall his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was tipped to lead the Pentagon, nor the United States ambassador to the UN under his mandate Nikki Haley, who became his rival during the Republican primaries, to be part of his government.

– “Mass expulsions” –

Opponents of Donald Trump demonstrate in New York on November 9, 2024 © AFP – Leonardo Munoz

Handing over the keys to the White House to the Republican will be a huge humiliation for outgoing President Joe Biden, accused by his camp of having facilitated this resounding comeback through pride.

After weeks of lackluster campaigning, the latter withdrew from the race in July, weighed down by his age, 81, in favor of his vice-president.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told the New York Times on Saturday that “if the president had left (the race) earlier, there might have been other candidates,” adding that Joe Biden's immediate support for Kamala Harris had prevented a primary from taking place.

The former speaker of the US House of Representatives, however, praised the “excitement” Kamala Harris generated during her campaign.

The vice president, who described her opponent as a “fascist,” failed to convince Americans that she understood their economic and security concerns.

According to exit polls, voters' top concerns were the economy and inflation, which had soared under Biden after the Covid pandemic.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in Washington on October 16, 2024 © AFP – Mandel NGAN

Donald Trump promised Americans to make their better life through tax cuts and customs duties. The Republican also said he would carry out “massive” expulsions of illegal immigrants.

He will be able to rely on the Senate, which the Republicans took back from the Democrats, and possibly on the House of Representatives, where his party is on track to retain the majority.

The vote count is not complete in Arizona, but for the rest Donald Trump has won the six other “Swing States”. And he is almost certain to win the popular vote against Kamala Harris.

He will then be the first Republican president in 20 years to achieve this feat, proving wrong the pollsters who predicted otherwise.

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