Trump in Paris for reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, will meet with Macron, Prince William

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Trump in Paris for reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, will meet with Macron, Prince William

President-elect Donald Trump is off on his first international trip since he was 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 had accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron. He said 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!”

The Notre Dame cathedral is seen in Paris, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

Louise Delmotte / AP

Trump touched down at Paris’ Orly Airport on Saturday morning. More than 20 French government security agents helped ensure his safety alongside the Secret Service, according to French national police. Security is tighter than usual outside the U.S. Embassy and other sites around Paris for the grandiose reopening.

Notre Dame was damaged in a fire that raged for 12 hours on April 15, 2019, nearly destroying the iconic 1,200-year-old church. Although experts said at the time that the restoration could take up to 40 years, Macron vowed to rebuild in five years.

“The decision to rebuild Notre Dame was about our capacity to save, restore, sometimes reinvent what we are by preserving where we come from,” Macron told 60 Minutes. “This is a message of achievement.”

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.

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.

Trump’s visit to France comes as Macron and other European leaders are trying to cultivate the president-elect’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s three-year invasion.

The people who helped resurrect Notre Dame

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Ahead of the Notre Dame event, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain’s Prince William — who’s also meeting with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.

Macron will convene separately on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’s not clear whether Trump will meet Zelenskyy, too. Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but has not specified how, raising concerns in Kyiv about what terms may be laid out for any future negotiations.

In an effort to build trust with the incoming U.S. administration, Zelenskyy’s top aide Andriy Yermak met key members of Trump’s team on a two-day trip earlier this week. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, described the meetings as productive but declined to disclose details.

Relations between France and the U.S. during Trump’s first term began warmly enough but grew increasingly strained over time.

Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual defense pact.

On the campaign trail this year, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies.

But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election.

Last weekend, Trump announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Predecessors in that prestigious role include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

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