PRAISING the strength of America’s oldest alliance, US president Donald Trump welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron to the White House with a pomp-filled ceremony on the South Lawn.
The ceremony preceded a day of talks on the future of the Iran nuclear deal and the crisis in Syria.
Trump said the partnership he forged with Macron at the start of his presidency was a testament to the “enduring friendship that binds our two nations”. He thanked the French leader for his “steadfast partnership” during the recent missile strike in response to the chemical attack in Syria.
Macron told Trump that together the US and France would defeat terrorism, curtail weapons of mass destruction in North Korea and Iran and act together on behalf of the planet, a reference to Macron’s work to revive a US role in the Paris climate accord.
“History is calling us. It is urging our people to find the fortitude that has guided us in the most difficult of times, Macron said. “France and with it, Europe, and the United States have an appointment with history.”
The pageantry of Macron’s official state visit, the first of the Trump presidency, came last night with a lavish state dinner at the White House. About 150 guests were expected to dine on rack of lamb and nectarine tart and enjoy an after-dinner performance by the Washington National Opera.
Last night was more relaxed, featuring a helicopter tour of Washington landmarks and a trip to the Potomac River home of George Washington with their wives for dinner.
The presidents and their spouses hopped on a helicopter bound for Mount Vernon, Washington’s historic riverside home, for a private dinner one night before the leaders sit down for talks on a weighty agenda including security, trade and the Iran nuclear deal.
“This is a great honour and I think a very important state visit given the moment of our current environment,” Macron said yesterday after his plane landed at a US military base near Washington.
Macron’s pomp-filled, three-day state visit to Washington underscores the importance that both sides attach to the relationship: Macron, who calls Trump often, has emerged as something of a “Trump whisperer” at a time when the American president’s relationships with other European leaders are more strained.
Trump, who attaches great importance to the optics of pageantry and ceremony, chose to honour Macron with the first state visit of his administration as he woos the French president.
For all their camaraderie, Macron and Trump disagree on some fundamental issues, including the multinational nuclear deal, which is aimed at restricting Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.
Trump, sceptical of the pact’s effectiveness, has been eager to pull out as a May 12 deadline nears. Macron says he is not satisfied with the situation in Iran and thinks the agreement is imperfect, but he has argued for the US sticking with the deal on the grounds that there is not yet a Plan B.
The Trumps and Macrons helped plant a tree on the White House grounds together before boarding Trump’s Marine One helicopter for a scenic tour of monuments built in the capital city designed by French-born Pierre L’Enfant as they flew south to Mount Vernon, the first US president’s home along the Potomac River.
The young oak is an environmentally friendly gift to the White House from Macron, and one that also bears historical significance. It sprouted at a First World War site in France, the Battle of Belleau Wood, that became part of US Marine Corps lore.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here