French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with President Trump as first lady Melania Trump looks on after the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris, July 14.
PARIS — This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
If the potential for a productive relationship between President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron initially seemed a scant possibility, Trump’s whirlwind Bastille Day visit to France suggested that the two may be en route to establishing a partnership of the kind the U.S. president currently shares with few other world leaders, especially in Western Europe.
Despite Trump’s staggering unpopularity in France — not to mention the outrage over Macron’s decision to invite his American counterpart to this country’s signature national holiday — the newly minted French president appeared to make a daring gamble. With the United States increasingly isolated on the global stage, Macron sought to position himself as Trump’s principal interlocutor in a region that has shown the White House little but disdain.
At least for the moment, that role is Macron’s for the taking — and he may succeed in securing it.
In a rare news conference Thursday — in which both presidents took two questions — Trump made no secret of his delight at Macron’s invitation.
“France is America’s first and oldest ally. A lot of people don’t know that,” he said. “It was a long time ago, but we are together. And I think together, perhaps, more so than ever. The relationship is very good.”
Despite the historic “special relationship” between the United States and Britain, Trump has shown little interest in British affairs since his inauguration, further delaying a traditional visit to the country until 2018. And although German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently tried to patch things up with Trump at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, she has done little to hide her distaste.
More to come on this........
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