Mar-a-Lago wins White House as president-elect overshadows Biden on world stage

President Biden arrived in Angola this week, completing his long-awaited first visit to sub-Saharan Africa and receiving a warm welcome from a crowd of thousands of spectators.

Biden is likely to make his last overseas trip before President-elect Donald Trump takes the White House next month, but he is already being overshadowed by his predecessor and successor on the world stage.

“The Oval Office has been replaced by Mar-a-Lago,” Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who worked at the State Department during Trump's first term, told Fox News.

Additionally, Matt Mowers, a veteran Republican national communications strategist and former diplomat at the State Department during the Trump administration, said for months that “Joe Biden was essentially a lame duck.” “The eyes of world leaders are shifting toward the United States,'' he said. It's the next government. ”

What President Trump told Canadian leaders behind closed doors

“There are still weeks until the next president is sworn into office, but the focus of loyalty and world leaders has shifted from the president-elect and Washington to March,” said Wayne L'Esperance, a veteran political scientist and president of the University of New England. ” he emphasized. A Lago at breathtaking speed. ”

While members of President Biden's White House will likely disagree with these sentiments, world leaders are It cannot be denied that such opinions have already begun. Communicate directly with the next president and his administration.

Trump prepares to take on the world stage

France's president invited to attend Saturday's star-studded VIP event celebrating the official reopening of the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral, five years after the Paris landmark was destroyed in a devastating fire As a result, President Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The president-elect's arrival marks Trump's unofficial return to the world stage and another reminder that he is rapidly becoming the center of the world's attention.

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) shakes hands with then-President Trump during his arrival ceremony during his state visit to Washington, DC, on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. President Trump is scheduled to attend a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral this weekend, five years after a fire severely damaged the building. (Getty Images)

The visit to Paris comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an impromptu stop at Mar-a-Lago to have dinner with President Trump after the president-elect threatened a trade war with Canada and Mexico. It was done.

President Trump has argued that Canada has failed to prevent large quantities of drugs and illegal immigrants from crossing the northern border into the United States, and also pointed to the United States' large trade deficit with Canada.

According to a report by Fox News reporter Bret Baier, President Trump suggested to Prime Minister Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) met with President-elect Donald Trump on Friday at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to discuss topics including the economy, illegal immigration and proposed 25% tariffs. (Justin Trudeau X)

In consideration of the unstable situation in the Middle East, President Trump announced on social media this week that “there will be hell” if Hamas does not release all the hostages held in Gaza by the inauguration ceremony on January 20. He warned in a post to the media.

Hours later, President Trump vowed to block Japan's Nippon Steel from acquiring U.S. Steel, a top American manufacturer.

“I am completely opposed to the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being acquired by a foreign company, in this case by Japan's Nippon Steel,” President Trump said on social media. “As president, I will block this deal from happening.”

Trump reiterated comments he made during his presidential campaign earlier this year, echoing Biden's pledge that U.S. Steel will remain American-owned.

Biden's trip to Africa has focused attention on his administration's commitment to the continent, which has increasingly attracted big investment calls from China. Mr. Biden also highlighted the United States' extensive efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa, which President Trump did not visit during his first term in the White House.

President Biden (left) stands during the national anthem with Angolan President João Lourenco at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

But Trump's trip to France will overshadow the president's visit as the president-elect is increasingly courted by world leaders.

Traditionally, the spotlight shifts from the outgoing president to the incoming president, Moise argued, but “this time it's even more pronounced because the differences between Biden and Trump's approaches to foreign policy are so different.”

Moise said President Trump is already seeking to “shape world affairs” by “being bold, not timid in his words,” and that the world is already responding to such American strength. emphasized.

“The world needs leadership,” Bartlett said. Moers added that “world leaders who want to get things done…need to engage with Mr. Trump.”

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L'Esperance pointed to Biden's wavering in Africa, saying the final weeks of a lame-duck presidency are “usually filled with moments of celebration and efforts to cement one's legacy, often with the U.S. and its “The focus will be on our role on the world stage on behalf of our allies.” '

However, he said, “Biden's comments on Ukraine, Gaza, and the importance of climate change have been largely ignored by world leaders. Instead, they are focusing on the selection of President Trump's foreign policy team and the importance of U.S. diplomacy.” The focus is on statements about changes in policy positions. That's clear.” While Biden was attempting a victory tour, the world turned a page. ”