Donald Trump is off on his first international trip as president-elect, ready to join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Donald Trump is off on his first international trip as president-elect, ready to join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire in 2019.
Trump wrote when he accepted the invitation earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”
Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating a relationship with the president-elect since he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris last month. But his office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying that other politicians who do not currently hold office had been invited as well.
Trump was invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation”, Macron’s office said, adding, “This is in no way exceptional, we’ve done it before.”
President Joe Biden was invited as well but will not attend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling conflict and said that the first lady, Jill Biden, will instead represent the U.S.
Trump and the U.S. first lady last encountered one another shortly after the election, when he visited the White House for the traditional meeting between outgoing and incoming presidents.
