What life for Donald Trump after the White House?
(Washington) To hear him campaigning, Donald Trump had never envisioned defeat.
Deprived of a second term by the victory of Joe Biden, he will now have to address a thorny question: what will his life be like after he leaves the White House on January 20, 2021?
While he regularly talks about his life before politics - "I had such a wonderful life" - he is less talkative about the life after.
His claimed passion for golf may lead him to frequent the greens even more diligently. On Saturday, just as American television networks announced his defeat, he was at his club in Sterling, Virginia, not far from Washington.
Over the past four years, only one scenario seems hard to imagine: quiet withdrawal and anonymity.
The return to television?
In this age of retraining, Donald Trump could be tempted again by the small screen.
If his name as a real estate developer was known in the 80s and 90s, it was The Apprentice that allowed him to push the door of every American home.
Co-producer of this reality TV show that he presented between 2004 and 2015, he managed, despite the ups and downs of his real estate empire, to project an image of a strong and charismatic businessman. .
In a large meeting room in Trump Tower, the real estate mogul greeted candidates and dismissed one by broadcast, using his ritualistic phrase: "You’re fired."
On several occasions since his arrival at the White House, he has deplored the positioning of Fox News, not Trumpist enough for his taste.
Viewers “want an alternative now. And me too ! He tweeted a few months ago.
2021 could be an opportunity to get started, either from a blank sheet of paper (but the initial investment could be prohibitive) or from existing "friendly" channels, such as One America News and NewsMax TV.
Courts ?
Once the White House leaves, Donald Trump's judicial horizon could darken greatly.
In New York, he is the target of two investigations, each of which could lead to prosecution.
The first, criminal and initiated by Manhattan prosecutor Cyrus Vance, targets possible acts of tax evasion, insurance fraud and accounting manipulations.
The second, civil, was initiated by New York State Attorney Letitia James and seeks to determine whether the Trump Organization lied about the size of its assets to obtain loans and tax benefits.
More litigation may resurface once he leaves 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The temptation 2024?
If, unlike his three predecessors - Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton - he failed to win a second term, he did not endure the rout at the ballot box that some predicted him.
In an election with record turnout, he won 70 million votes (against 74 million for Joe Biden) and could therefore be tempted to stay at the heart of the debate.
In theory, nothing prevents him from trying his luck again in four years.
The Constitution prohibits serving more than two terms, but making two non-consecutive is a possibility.
Only one man succeeded in this bet: Grover Cleveland, at the end of the 19th century. Elected in 1884, he was defeated in 1888, then re-elected in 1892. He is, in the history books, both the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.
Beyond the myriad political obstacles to overcome (the "Grand Old Party" might be tempted to turn the page on Trumpism), the question of age might also arise.
Grover Cleveland was 56 at the start of his second term. Donald Trump would have 78.
Mick Mulvaney, one of his former chiefs of staff, now US special envoy to Northern Ireland, openly raised the idea on Thursday.
"I clearly expect the president to stay involved in politics and I think he will be one of the people who will probably be candidates in 2024," he said.
Take the road ?
In a tone that is both provocative and ironic he loves, the 45th president in history has spoken of several "leads" in recent months.
In June at the White House, he raised humorously the possibility of a road trip with his wife Melania Trump.
“Maybe I'll drive to New York with the first lady. I think I'll buy a motorhome and travel with the first lady ”.
On a less romantic note, he paused a few days ago at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania to admire the trucks parked from a distance.
“Nice trucks! Do you think I could climb into one of them and go? I would love that, just drive and cut the road. "
During a trip to The Villages, the largest retirement community in Florida, he spoke of a more peaceful option.
“I will be moving to The Villages. It's not a bad idea. I even like it a lot! ".
There remains a more radical option.
"I'm not going to feel very good," he said a few weeks ago, referring to the humiliation he said losing to "Sleeping Joe" would represent.
“Maybe I'll have to leave the country”.
