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President-elect Donald Trump is on his first international trip since being re-elected to the White House. He will join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris to celebrate the renovation and reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire destroyed the landmark.
Earlier this week, Trump said he accepted an invitation by the French President Emmanuel Macron. He said Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring Notre Dame is restored to its full level of glory and beyond. It will be a very special day for everyone!”
Louise Delmotte/AP
Trump landed at Paris Orly Airport on Saturday morning. More than 20 French government security agents helped secure it along with the Secret Service, according to the French National Police. Security is tighter than usual at the US embassy and other sites around Paris for the grand reopening.
Outside the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, dozens of members of the French Republican Guard stood awaiting Trump's arrival.
JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
The grand red carpet arrival is the same protocol the French use to welcome sitting American presidents. It was another sign of how eager both Macron and other European leaders are to win Trump's favor and appease him before he even takes office.
Before they went inside, Trump said: “It certainly seems like the world is a little crazy right now. And we will talk about it.''
Notre Dame suffered a fire which raged for 12 hours on April 15, 2019, nearly destroying the iconic 1,200-year-old church. Although experts said at the time that restoration could take up to 40 years, Macron promised to restore in five years.
“The decision to restore Notre Dame was about our ability to save, restore, sometimes reinvent who we are by preserving where we come from,” Macron told 60 minutes ago. “It's a message of achievement.”
Macron, who has had a rocky relationship with Trump, has made it a point to maintain a relationship with the president-elect since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris last month. But his office nevertheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not currently in office had also been invited.
President Joe Biden was also invited but will not be attending. White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre cited a scheduling conflict and said the first lady, Jill Biden, would instead represent the U.S.
Trump and the US first lady last met shortly after the election, when he visited the White House for the traditional meeting between outgoing and incoming presidents.
Trump's visit to France comes as Macron and other European leaders try to curry favor with the president-elect and convince him to maintain his support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia's three-year invasion.
Before the Notre Dame event, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain's Prince William – who is also meeting with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.
Macron will meet separately on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is not clear whether Trump will also meet with Zelensky. Trump has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine, but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kiev about what terms could be laid out for future talks.
In an effort to build trust with the incoming US administration, Zelensky's top aide Andriy Yermak met with key members of Trump's team during a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, described the meetings as productive but declined to give details.
Relations between France and the US during Trump's first term started off warm enough, but grew increasingly strained over time.
Macron was the guest of honor at Trump's first state dinner, and Trump has traveled to France several times. But relations suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America's commitment to the mutual defense pact.
During his campaign this year, Trump often mocked Macron, mimicking his accent and threatening to impose high tariffs on bottles of wine and champagne sent to the US if France tried to tax American companies.
But Macron was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.
Last weekend, Trump announced that he intended to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France. His predecessors in this prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
