Overview
- French President Emmanuel Macron arranged a one-on-one dinner for President Trump at the Palace of Versailles after the G7 summit, aiming to secure private time with the U.S. leader.
- President Trump accepted the invitation and praised Versailles as "the real deal," saying a later return to the United States would not reduce his work in office.
- Macron has said the event will not be a gala, stressing it is a private dinner rather than a formal state celebration.
- Hard-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot and other French critics condemned the decision, calling the optics of honoring Trump with pomp inappropriate for the French presidency.
- Commentators note the Versailles invitation follows a pattern of world leaders using ceremony and flattery to engage Trump and comes after his recent penchant for grand White House aesthetics.