French President Emmanuel Macron personally asked US President-elect Donald Trump to attend the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral during an extensive phone call. The historic cathedral, which suffered significant damage in a devastating fire five years ago, is set to reopen this weekend. French media has called the discussion between the two leaders and Trump's acceptance of Macron's invitation a "diplomatic coup."
According to The Telegraph, sources close to Macron confirmed his determination to have Trump at the event, which will also host roughly 50 world leaders and US First Lady Jill Biden. The visit marks Trump’s first foreign trip since winning the 2024 presidential election.
During their conversation, Macron and Trump discussed various foreign policy topics and agreed “to continue their discussions on the sidelines of the ceremonies at Notre Dame,” according to Le Monde, which called the discussion as a "diplomatic coup."
Macron reportedly lobbied for Trump’s attendance as part of a broader effort by European leaders to strengthen relations with the incoming US administration. Back in November, Macron was among the first leaders to congratulate Trump on his victory, expressing hope for collaboration on "peace and prosperity."
Similarly, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted his commitment to deepening ties with the United States, promising on Monday to “invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends.”
Trump’s visit comes amid his renewed calls for NATO allies to increase defense spending and his threats to impose tariffs on European Union imports.
Because of the nature of Trump’s visit, speculation has been raised about how Macron’s team will deal with the protocol regarding how Trump is placed in the order of foreign dignitaries. Former French ambassador to the US, Gerard Araud, explained in a post on X, “I can’t imagine the headache that Donald Trump’s participation in the Notre Dame ceremony represents for the chief of protocol. In theory, he should come after all the other official guests. I advise against following the theory.”
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump called it an “honor” to attend the re-opening of Notre Dame.
“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he said. “President Emmanuel Macron has 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!”
