He was said to be aging.
Joe Biden is energetic and disciplined.
He was said to be hesitant.
He rules fast and strong.
In 100 days, the new President of the United States surprised his detractors and skeptics by offering the image of a head of state determined to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, to put the world's leading power back at the heart of the game diplomatic, to attack America's old demons.
"He was completely underestimated," confirms Jean-Éric Branaa, specialist in the United States and author of a biography of Joe Biden.
"It's probably because he spent his career playing supporting roles. In reality, he is serious, hard-working, we can see it now, even if he never tried to take the light."
>>> To read:
"The United States is moving forward", greets Joe Biden in front of Congress
Without drama or scandal, this "normal" president has been taking care since the start of his mandate to erase the legacy of Donald Trump.
Migration policy, environment, health, minorities… A week after taking office, Joe Biden signed 34 decrees, 12 of which revisited decisions made by his predecessor.
Among these controversial measures, the "Muslim ban" which prohibited access to American territory to nationals of seven countries with a Muslim majority, or a decree which favored discrimination against LGBT employees.
To the thunderous tweets of the billionaire, Biden relies on discreet communication.
To outbursts of anger, "Joe" prefers to play on the register of empathy and compassion, as when he travels to Texas to comfort the victims of a cold snap that paralyzed the state for several days at the time. month of february.
"We went from the disruptor at the back of the class which amuses everyone, to the good student who works in silence", summarizes Jean-Éric Branaa.
And it is on the health front that the new president has worked hard. Very difficult. When he arrives at the White House, the United States has just passed the milestone of 400,000 dead from Covid-19. Joe Biden then takes the total opposite of the Trump administration, imposes the wearing of masks in federal buildings, quarantines travelers and launches the most ambitious vaccination operation in the history of the United States. In short, Joe Biden listens to science, much to the relief of the immunologist and adviser to American presidents, Anthony Fauci.
A few weeks later, the results are there.
The country is experiencing a spectacular decline in the number of contaminations.
The vaccination campaign is a considerable logistical success.
It even exceeds the objectives set by Joe Biden, who had promised 100 million vaccinated in 100 days.
Today, more than 210 million doses have been administered, a world record.
Far from his managerial label, he also succeeded in the feat of having Congress adopt in a few weeks its ambitious stimulus plan of 1,900 billion dollars, and in the process proposed another on infrastructure.
Massive revival, intervention of the federal state: some admirers no longer hesitate to make him the heir of Franklin Roosevelt, the builder of the New Deal after the Great Depression.
His popularity rating is now firmly anchored above 50%, a score that his predecessor never achieved during the four years of his presidency.
NBC / WSJ poll finds that Biden's job approval rating is 53% 👍 to 39% 👎.
Issue breakdown: He performs very well on Covid-19 handling, well on the economy and unifying the country, and poorly on immigration and guns.https: //t.co/c03JfGFMYF pic.twitter.com/4O12b2UkuM
- Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) April 25, 2021
"America is back"
In terms of international relations, Joe Biden, recognized as an expert in the field, is again doing the opposite of Donald Trump.
From his inauguration, he returned to multilateralism by announcing the return of the United States to the Paris climate agreement, within the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Human Rights Council of the UN.
In 100 days, the new White House tenant put America back at the center of the world.
"America is back", America is back, insists Joe Biden.
"He did not just return to the concert of nations. He sat in the front row and said to everyone: 'From now on, I am the leader'", analyzes Jean-Éric Branaa.
On the climate, he short-circuited the others, and in particular Emmanuel Macron, by organizing his virtual summit "last week.
>> To read on France 24: Joe Biden, the democratic antidote to Donald Trump
The new American president is also making important diplomatic turns by ending American support for the Saudi coalition in Yemen or by relaunching negotiations on Iranian nuclear power.
He also gives the green light to the resumption of economic aid to the Palestinians interrupted by his predecessor.
In Afghanistan, he takes the controversial decision to withdraw US troops, "ending America's longest war."
Faced with the ambitions of Vladimir Poutine, described as a “killer”, of Xi Jinping, who “does not have an ounce of democracy in him”, or of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Biden is intractable.
But beyond the formulas that hit the mark, the Biden-Harris duo is taking concrete action by imposing significant sanctions against Russia for its interference in the electoral process and in American cybersecurity.
On April 24, the United States officially recognized the Armenian genocide, infuriating Ankara.
None of his predecessors had dared, fearing the strong reaction of Turkey.
Same firmness towards China for its behavior towards Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Uyghur minority.
"Human rights have returned to the center of the diplomatic game when they had disappeared for four years. As it was not Donald Trump's business, it was no longer the world's business. speaks of the Uyghurs today, it is because Biden has brought this issue back to the fore, ”assures Jean-Éric Branaa.
>> See our debate on France 24: Climate summit: the return of the United States
Reconciling America
If the first 100 days of the Biden presidency have been monopolized by the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, other files await in the Oval Office.
Starting with the thorny subject of racism and police violence.
From the start of his mandate, Joe Biden signed a series of decrees to fight against discrimination.
A first step deemed insufficient by the African-American community and human rights defenders.
After the verdict in the George Floyd death case and the conviction of policeman Derek Chauvin, the US president promised to "do a lot more" against "systemic racism" in the United States.
A bill to reform the police will soon be presented to Congress.
>> To read on France 24: Racism in the United States: the hopes and uncertainties of African Americans after the George Floyd affair
After the mass killings in Atlanta, Boulder, Colorado, and Orange, Calif., Joe Biden also tackled the recurring problem of the circulation of firearms.
But for lack of real room for maneuver in Congress, Biden must forgo sweeping reforms and settle for limited executive decrees.
Another hot issue that could tarnish the promising beginnings of the tenant of the White House: immigration.
In mid-April, Joe Biden announced that he was delaying his plan to increase the number of refugees admitted to the United States and this year to keep the historically low ceiling of 15,000 people set by Donald Trump.
In the face of the outcry within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, the government finally backed down.
"Biden promised to welcome immigrants, and people voted for him on the basis of that promise. Maintaining the xenophobic and racist policies of the Trump administration" is "simply wrong", protested on Twitter, among others. muse of the left wing of the Democratic Party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Completely and utterly unacceptable.
Biden promised to welcome immigrants, and people voted for him based on that promise.
Upholding the xenophobic and racist policies of the Trump admin, incl the historically low + plummeted refugee cap, is flat out wrong.
Keep your promise.
https://t.co/A82xYf1XpR
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 16, 2021
At the same time, the Republican opposition had accused Biden of laxity and of being responsible for a "draft" at the Mexican border.
"America is still so divided, always on the same themes and always in the same way," said Jean-Éric Branaa.
In fact, there is a part of America that will never accept the Biden presidency.
It remains to convince the others. "
If it will take more than 100 days for Joe Biden to appease and "restore the soul of America" as he had promised, the new president may have a significant asset to achieve his ends, he understands his biographer.
"Joe Biden won't run again, no matter what he says. Unlike his predecessors, he doesn't have the pressure of the popularity meter. He has free rein and that is his great strength."
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR