Trump returns to Europe for the first time following election win for Notre Dame’s re-opening

President-elect Donald Trump will be in France this weekend to celebrate the re-opening of the famed Notre Dame Cathedral alongside several world leaders, marking his first foreign trip following his election victory last month.

Trump announced his plan Monday to attend the celebratory re-opening on his social media app Truth Social, which comes five years after a fire devastated the cathedral in 2019. The 700-million-euro restoration project was funded by donations from 150 countries and involved the application of carpentry methods dating back to the 13th century. Sources familiar with the president-elect’s plans told Fox News that Trump’s attendance was at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Security will be tight for the invite-only festivities that are set to begin Saturday afternoon, Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said in an interview published by French media outlet Le Parisien. He said many of the measures will mimic those deployed during the Paris Olympics.

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Nuñez also indicated that about 50 heads of state would be in attendance, but did not specify whom or from which countries. President Joe Biden, however, is not expected to attend, but first lady Jill Biden will be there.

Macron was the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump after his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris, CNN reported. The pair’s relationship heading into Trump’s second non-consecutive term will build on what the two established during Trump’s first term.

While the two traded barbs during Trump’s first term in the White House, Macron has shown a level of deference – at times – towards Trump that other NATO leaders have not. Reporters have described the pair’s relationship as a “bromance,” and in 2017 the two participated in a Bastille Day military parade in Paris aimed at highlighting the longstanding alliance between France and the U.S. 

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Trump’s push to get other NATO countries to contribute more money to defense efforts – and his overall skepticism of the alliance – has been a point of contention between Trump and other NATO leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for instance, clashed with Trump over his claims Germany was not contributing enough to NATO’s defense efforts. 

During a NATO summit in 2019, a cohort of global leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and France’s Macron, were caught on a hot-mic seemingly making fun of Trump for engaging in long, rambling press conferences. The year prior, during a speech at the U.N., audible laughter could be heard after he said his administration had accomplished more in its first two years than any other administration in history.

But heading into Trump’s second term, world leaders seem to be aware of the importance of forging a good relationship with him. Just last week, Trudeau traveled to Trump’s Florida resort after the president-elect threatened to slap tariffs on Canadian products over concerns about illegal immigration. 

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Earlier this week, new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed Britain’s and the U.S.’ “special relationship,” before recalling when the president-elect “graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower,” during an annual banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of London. 

Trump’s arrival in the French capital coincides with Macron’s strategic efforts to stabilize a government in turmoil. Following the ousting of his prime minister through a no-confidence vote, Macron now confronts increasing demands for his own resignation.