Filling the vacuum President-in-waiting is wasting no time in seizing the agenda

The grand reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Saturday was attended by about 50 heads of state and government. Joe Biden was not there to admire the magnificent splendour of the 850-year-old place of worship, but Donald Trump was.

- David Smith

The role reversal neatly symbolised how power is draining from one man to the other. Biden, now a lame duck, appears to be in decline physically and politically, fading from America's national stage and tarnishing his legacy with a pardon for his errant son.

Trump, however, is already dominating the Washington agenda more than 40 days before he takes the oath of office.

He has grabbed attention with incendiary cabinet selections and policy pronouncements. He has begun flexing his muscles with world leaders. To many Americans, it feels like Trump is already president again.

"Biden's presidency is ending with a series of whimpers rather than a bang and it feels like he's shrinking into irrelevance as Trump is asserting himself," said Charlie Sykes, a conservative author and broadcaster. "If you're a foreign leader, you may talk to Biden out of politeness, but you're going to listen to Trump out of naked self-interest."

Since defeating Kamala Harris in last month's election, Trump has in effect set up a shadow presidency at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Florida.

His threat of 25% tariffs on foreign imports led the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to rush to Mar-a-Lago with a promise of increased border security measures. Trump also said Mexico had agreed to close its border, a claim contradicted by the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, has credited Trump with bringing Israel and Lebanon to the negotiating table, though some political analysts have said there is no evidence he has had any direct involvement.