President Donald Trump has arrived in central Paris to participate in Bastille Day celebrations.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted at the Place de la Concorde by Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron arrived minutes later after being delivered via an open-air, military vehicle and reviewing the troops. Macron invited Trump to be the guest of honor at Friday’s celebration, which also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the US entry into World War I.
Trump is scheduled to return to the US after the military parade and fireworks display marking the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution.
Macron is positioning himself as the indispensable intermediary between Europe and Donald Trump.
He made a point of detailing both the long history of ties between France and America and the areas where he and Trump disagree as he hosted the US president.
But Macron made clear it was in the spirit of bluntness between friends, even offering a conspiratorial wink during a joint news conference.
Trump’s trip includes a gilded tour of one of France’s most storied monuments and dinner at the Eiffel Tower.
