His vice-president, his family… Who are the members of Donald Trump's inner circle?

At the end of a suspense lasting several months, Donald Trump was finally elected President of the United States on Tuesday, November 5, defeating his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. His campaign was marked by two assassination attempts and by meetings during which he made sweeping speeches. Surrounded by his campaign team and family, he celebrated his victory in Palm Beach, Florida.

Here are the members of Donald Trump's inner circle, with whom he regains power.

JD Vance, its vice-president

In his victory speech, Donald Trump congratulated his “formidable” Vice President James David Vance. The Ohio senator joined the Republican campaign on July 15 as a running mate. At 40, this former soldier espoused the ideas of Donald Trump on the fight against immigration and economic protectionism in particular.

JD Vance played youth facing his 78-year-old mentor. Coming from a modest background, he joined the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement after the publication of his book Hillbilly Elegypublished in 2016 and became a bestseller.

Elon Musk, his billionaire ally

Elon Musk was the first to announce his camp's victory on his social network X, at 4:30 a.m. Later in the evening, he posted a photo showing himself alongside Donald Trump and Dana White, during the election night organized at the candidate's HQ.

“We have a new star, a star is born: Elon! He’s great”assured the new president this Wednesday. The man who bought Twitter in 2022 is also the richest man in the world. He contributed significantly to the financing of Donald Trump's campaign, paying him more than $115 million. The billionaire also held meetings in support of the Republican candidate, sharing with him a fight for freedom of expression and against “woke ideology”.

The boss of Tesla and SpaceX could obtain an important position within the future Trump administration, the new president having already announced that he wants to put him at the head of a commission “responsible for conducting a comprehensive financial and performance audit of the entire federal government”.

Dana White, the boss of the UFC

On stage, he spoke even before the vice-president. Dana White, 55, has helped MMA become a very popular sport in the United States since he took over in 2001 at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest league in the world. dedicated to this combat sport. The two men already knew each other 20 years ago, Donald Trump ardently supporting Dana White.

A controversial figure, he was notably talked about for homophobic and sexist comments. On New Year's Eve 2023, for example, he was filmed hitting his wife in a nightclub. He ended up apologizing.

Susie Wiles, his discreet campaign manager

This 67-year-old woman led the Republican campaign. Little known to the general public, she is nicknamed the “Ice Lady” as she does not show any emotion in public. Refusing to give a speech, she let Donald Trump talk about her work “fierce”. They have known each other for a long time since Susie Wiles was already running his campaign in 2016. She had previously worked for Ron DeSantis, current governor of Florida, with whom she ended up arguing.

Steven Cheung, his communications advisor

Born in California to immigrant parents from China, Steven Cheung, 41, worked for a long time within the UFC before joining Donald Trump in 2016. Spokesperson for the 2024 campaign, he manages relations with journalists alongside by Jason Miller, also a member of the campaign team.

Together, they shaped Donald Trump's communications strategy, particularly on social networks. They were partly at the origin of the attacks against journalists and against “fake news”.

Melania Trump, his wife, and his children

Once again First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump intervened little in her husband's campaign. She made a few appearances in recent days, participating in the Madison Square Garden meeting, before speaking on television, in full promotion of her memoirs published in October. Donald Trump “is not Hitler”she had defended him.

The new president's children were present for his victory speech, forming a family clan ready to regain power. His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, heads the Republican National Committee, supporting Donald Trump's campaign without limits: “I have seen this man go through hell, going in and out of courtrooms, being indicted, being impeached, being photographed and even being the subject of a assassination attempt. And yet, he never backed down.”assured the former television producer at the Republican Convention in July.

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Donald Trump therefore arrives at the White House with a small but extremely loyal circle of relatives, friends and political advisors. A notable difference with his first election in 2016, when he had to deal with the leaders of his party.