US President Joe Biden showed courtesy by welcoming Donald Trump to the White House, where the Republican, who already has full control of Congress, will officially enter as US head of state on January 20 after his inauguration ceremony.
The president-elect also continued to announce nominations for his future administration at a breakneck speed, entrusting key posts to loyalists, some of whom arouse highly controversial opinions, such as the radical right-wing representative Matt Gaetz, whom Trump wants to put at the head of the department of justice.
After shaking hands with the outgoing head of state in the Oval Office, yesterday the 45th president of the United States, who will very soon become the 47th head of state of the United States, said that the transition in power will be “as possible -fluent“.
The footage, showing the two politicians chatting by the fireplace, was a sharp contrast to their heated exchanges in recent years, particularly during the Democrat's campaign for a second term, which he abandoned in July.
Joe Biden has repeatedly described his opponent as a “danger” for democracy, and Donald Trump presented his opponent as an old and senile person.
The meeting between the two statesmen lasted almost two hours in the presence of the heads of their offices.
„We're going to do everything we can to make sure you have everything you need,” said Joe Biden. He greeted Trump with “welcome back” of the most important post in the world, which Donald Trump previously held from 2017 to 2021.
The Republican, who made an incredible return to power with his landslide victory in the November 5 presidential election, then assured the “New York Post” that Biden and himself were “very pleased to see each other”. Trump said he spoke with Biden about the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
Call for support for Ukraine
In the words of White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre, the meeting between Trump and Biden was “very cordial”.
"Biden emphasized to Trump that, in his opinion, continued US support for Ukraine is in the interest of our national security,” said Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, at a time when Donald Trump openly criticizes aid to Kiev.
The American government released a photo of Joe Biden and his wife Jill together with Donald Trump, all three smiling. Another footage released by the Biden administration shows the two presidents walking in the White House Rose Garden.
It does credit to Biden that he respects the democratic traditions that his predecessor, and now his successor, neglected.
Donald Trump, who has consistently disputed his defeat by Joe Biden in 2020, did not invite the Democrat to the White House for such a traditional handover meeting and skipped his inauguration in January 2021.
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Now the billionaire Republican controls the levers of power.
The Republican Party retained its majority in the House of Representatives after taking control of the Senate, the upper house of Congress.
Donald Trump can also count on a Supreme Court that is firmly oriented to the right.
In recent days he has announced a number of names to fill posts in his future administration, some of them sensational, including that of the world's richest man, Elon Musk, who will head the department tasked with cutting public spending and to tackle the deregulation of the economy.
The hard-line right also enters the justice system
Donald Trump announced yesterday that he is entrusting the post of director of national intelligence to Tulsi Gabbard, a defector from the Democratic Party and a former military officer known for her pro-Russian positions.
For the head of the federal judiciary he chose Matt Geitz, a congressman from Florida and one of his most loyal people. Accused of having a sexual relationship with a minor, this representative of the hard-line right has always denied these accusations. However, his nomination must be approved by the Senate.
„Matt will end the instrumentalization of our administration,” said the US president-elect, who is facing lawsuits and who accuses the current Justice Department of a “witch hunt” against him.
The newly elected president also addressed congressional Republicans yesterday, to whom he raised the question of the possibility of running again for the White House at the end of his second term, which is prohibited by the US Constitution.
„I don't think I'll run again unless you say to yourself, „He's good, we have to think about something else,”, he said, prompting laughter from the audience.
Translation from French: Alexey Margoevski, BTA