ACTUALITES

Donald J. Trump prête serment vendredi sur les marches du Capitole, au coeur de Washington, pour succéder à Barack Obama et devenir le 45^ème président des États-Unis, incroyable épilogue d'une campagne anti-élites qui a pris tout le monde à revers.

A 70 ans, sans la moindre expérience politique, diplomatique ou militaire, le magnat de l'immobilier s'apprête à prendre les rênes de la première puissance mondiale sous le regard inquiet des alliés des États-Unis, échaudés par ses déclarations tonitruantes, parfois contradictoires.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Après une nuit à Blair House, résidence réservée aux hôtes de marque située en face de la Maison-Blanche, Donald Trump et son épouse Melania devaient partager un thé avec Barack et Michelle Obama avant de se rendre ensemble au Capitole.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Des centaines de milliers d'Américains, partisans enthousiastes et farouches opposants, sont attendus sur les larges pelouses du National Mall qui lui fait face. Trois de ses prédécesseurs - Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton - seront présents, ainsi qu'Hillary Clinton, son adversaire malheureuse.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            « Je jure solennellement de remplir fidèlement les fonctions de président des États-Unis, et, dans toute la mesure de mes moyens, de sauvegarder, protéger et défendre la Constitution des États-Unis » : peu avant midi, l'homme d'affaires prêtera serment, comme l'ont fait avant lui George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt ou encore John F. Kennedy.

Il a choisi pour ce faire deux bibles : la sienne, qui lui a été offerte par sa mère en 1955, et celle d'Abraham Lincoln, sauveur de l'Union, également utilisée par Barack Obama il y a quatre ans.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Après le temps de la campagne (17 mois) et celui de la transition (deux mois et demi), voici venu celui de l'exercice du pouvoir (quatre ans) pour cet ancien animateur d'une émission de téléréalité qui a promis de « rendre sa grandeur à l'Amérique » mais fait face à un pays fracturé, tant son style et ses propos, volontiers provocateurs, divisent.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               « Nous allons rassembler notre pays », a-t-il promis jeudi.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Des manifestations hostiles se sont déroulées jeudi soir à New York, avec des célébrités comme Robert de Niro accompagnant des milliers d'habitants, et vendredi matin à Manille devant l'ambassade américaine avec des centaines de Philippins. D'autres étaient attendues vendredi à Prague, Bruxelles, Berlin ou Londres.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Niveau d'impopularité record ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Dans une journée chargée en rituels dont l'Amérique est friande, le 45^ème président de l'histoire américaine prononcera un discours d'investiture moins en forme de programme que de « vision », assure son entourage.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            La cérémonie, qui sera suivie en direct à travers le monde, aura un goût de revanche pour l'homme d'affaires à la coiffure étonnante dont l'annonce de candidature avait été accueillie par des ricanements, chez les républicains comme chez les démocrates.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Son équipe annonce pour le début de la semaine prochaine une série de décrets visant à défaire une partie du bilan de son prédécesseur démocrate (climat, immigration...) et à ébaucher le sien. Il pourrait en signer quelques-uns dès vendredi.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               La tâche s'annonce ardue pour l'auteur du livre à succès The Art of the Deal qui a promis, avec un sens de la formule qui enchante ses partisans et consterne ses détracteurs, d'être « le plus grand créateur d'emplois que Dieu ait jamais créé ».

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           La constitution de ses équipes a été difficile tant la victoire a pris le camp républicain par surprise. Du fonctionnement quotidien de la Maison-Blanche, énorme administration, aux interactions avec les autres agences, les premières semaines pourraient être chaotiques.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Et jamais depuis 40 ans un président américain n'avait pris le pouvoir avec un niveau d'impopularité aussi élevé.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Par ailleurs, selon une étude du Pew Research Center publiée jeudi, 86 % des Américains jugent que le pays est plus politiquement divisé que par le passé (ce chiffre était de 46 % lorsque Barack Obama est arrivé au pouvoir en 2009).         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Grâce à Twitter, le septuagénaire continue de régler quotidiennement ses comptes avec ceux qui ont émis des critiques à son égard, de John Lewis, figure du mouvement des droits civiques, à l'actrice Meryl Streep, accusée d'être le « larbin » d'Hillary Clinton.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               « Il semble vouloir se battre contre tous les moulins à vent de la terre plutôt que de se concentrer sur le fait d'endosser le poste le plus important au monde », a résumé d'une formule assassine le sénateur républicain John McCain, l'une des rares voix dissidentes au sein du Grand Old Party.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Résultat, l'opposition démocrate fourbit ses armes, et des dizaines d'élus boycotteront la cérémonie, tandis que des manifestations sont également prévues vendredi et samedi.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Sur la scène internationale, le bouillant promoteur immobilier a déjà décoché ses flèches à l'encontre de la Chine, de l'OTAN ou encore de la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Or c'est sur ce front que son mandat à venir suscite les plus grandes interrogations. Les dirigeants de la planète s'interrogent sur la valeur exacte à accorder à ses déclarations quand les responsables qu'il a nommés - à la tête du département d'État ou du Pentagone - prennent des positions apparemment inverses, comme sur la Russie de Vladimir Poutine ou l'accord nucléaire iranien.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Juste après la cérémonie, Barack Obama, 55 ans, s'envolera directement pour la Californie, pour ses premières vacances en famille d'ex-président.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Après huit années au pouvoir, le président démocrate qui a surmonté une crise économique et financière qui menaçait de tout emporter sur son passage a indiqué qu'il entendait rester à l'écart de la « mêlée » pour laisser son successeur gouverner.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Mais il a aussi promis, lors de son ultime conférence de presse mercredi, de sortir du bois si « les valeurs fondamentales » de l'Amérique, de l'immigration à la liberté d'expression, étaient menacées.