Donald Trump made his first major appointment on Thursday, choosing a woman, Susie Wiles, for the very strategic position of chief of staff, the president-elect also affirming that he thought he would soon speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Architect of the Republican’s campaign, Susie Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to occupy this position, underlined the future 47th American president.
“Susie is tough, intelligent, creative, admired and respected everywhere,” said Donald Trump, quoted in a press release. Susie Wiles will become the new administration’s White House chief of staff.
A little earlier, Joe Biden had committed to ensuring a “peaceful and orderly” transfer of power with Donald Trump, his predecessor (2017-2021) and soon-to-be successor in the White House.
“I hope that we can, no matter who we vote for, see ourselves as fellow citizens and not as adversaries,” Mr. Biden said in his first speech after the Republican’s resounding victory in the presidential election.
The American president, who will go this month to the G20 summit in Brazil and to that of the Apec (Asia-Pacific) countries in Peru, with a detour through the Amazon rainforest, ends fifty years of political life with a global humiliation.
He risks seeing his record, particularly diplomatic and environmental, unraveled by his successor.
– “Resume contact” –
“I think we are going to talk” with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump declared to NBC, while Joe Biden, Ukraine’s first supporter in the face of the Russian invasion, broke ties with his Russian counterpart.
The Russian president, for his part, said he was “ready to resume contact” with Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20.
Joe Bidenn, 81, left his place as candidate in July to his vice-president Kamala Harris.
The outgoing president is accused in his camp of having allowed the resounding return of Donald Trump, despite being portrayed as a danger to democracy, by clinging too long to a hopeless candidacy.
His spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, bombarded with questions about possible regrets, said Thursday that she was leaving the subject to “experts”, and assured that Joe Biden was “proud” of his record.
She ruled that Kamala Harris had been the victim of a “global” trend which saw outgoing leaders dismissed by voters once the page on the Covid-19 pandemic had been turned.
– Trump “impatient” –
Joe Biden invited Donald Trump to the White House on an unspecified date to prepare for the arrival of the next administration, in which figures such as entrepreneur Elon Musk or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could play important roles.
Trump, who never acknowledged his defeat in 2020 and who had shunned Biden’s inauguration ceremony, “is looking forward to this meeting” at the White House, according to his team.
The real estate tycoon was the target of two assassination attempts during the campaign, and charged and convicted in criminal and civil proceedings. He has 74 days to put his government team in place.
His first mandate was marked by a succession of ministers and advisors who successively fell into disgrace.
RFK Jr., nephew of the assassinated president and former independent candidate aligned with Donald Trump, could be entrusted with responsibilities in public health.
Notoriously critical of vaccination, he assured Thursday on NBC that he “would not take away anyone’s vaccines” but judged that Americans should be able to “decide individually”.
Another key figure is expected to be billionaire Elon Musk, who campaigned very actively for Donald Trump. The president-elect could charge the richest man in the world with fundamentally reorganizing the federal administration.
– Full powers –
Having left in chaos in January 2021, the 78-year-old tribune achieved an incredible comeback by convincing a majority of voters that he understood the socio-economic and security concerns of everyday life.
Mr. Trump wins or temporarily leads in the seven “Swing States”, including Nevada, the last key state won by the Republican, according to several American media.
Donald Trump promised Americans to make their lives better through tax cuts and customs duties.
Beijing has warned that there will be “no winners in a trade war” with Washington.
The Republican also said he would carry out “massive” expulsions of irregular migrants.
On Thursday, he said there was “no choice” but to see the project through.
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.
This would give him, counting the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, almost full powers.
