Donald Trump promises to usher in a new "golden age" for America. As he took office on January 20, he inherited a dynamic economy, a low unemployment rate (4.1%) and ambitious investment programs in infrastructure and key sectors. His stated priorities are a historic campaign to deport undocumented immigrants, an aggressive tariff policy and the reconfiguration of the federal state, making its agents obliged to be loyal to him while also reducing an unsustainable budget deficit (6.2% of gross domestic product).

The composition of his team in the White House and the main branches of government is evidence of this demand for submission. It also represents an unprecedented risk of confusion between general and partisan interest, service to the American public and personal gain, as in the many roles taken on by Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X, a propaganda tool at the service of the MAGA movement. Environmentalism, respect for international law and traditional US alliances also appear to be under threat.

Loyalty and discipline in the White House

Moving fast, without a hitch but with a kind of ideological coherence and discipline: Such is the roadmap for Trump's new team of advisers at the White House. His chief of staff, Susie Wiles, 67, is uncommonly discreet. The Republican consultant, who co-managed the candidate's campaign, even refused to step up to the microphone on the evening of the November 6, 2024, victory, despite Trump's encouragement. The first woman to hold this position in the White House, she is unfamiliar with the inner workings of the federal apparatus, having spent most of her career in the state of Florida. But Wiles is committed to the process, a strict control over who gets access to the president, and setting priorities and binding timetables. Although not known for her radical personal positions, she sees her commitment as being about efficiency.

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