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- “We have found reliable allies, friends, who came to our rescue - the United States of America is one of them - and nothing will ever separate us," he said.
- In a video of the encounter, President Trump turns to Brigitte and says, "You're in such good shape." Trump then reportedly repeated the comment to Macron before turning back to his wife, adding "beautiful."
Security, politics, protocol and fashion reached a high level during President Donald Trump’s and First Lady Melania’s visit to Paris Friday to participate as guests of honor of President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte to celebrate France’s national Bastille Day.
Also abundant between the presidents were long handshakes and pats on the back, as well as mutual compliments and demonstrations of goodwill over the possibility for future negotiations and accords.
Despite protests in different sites in the city, and recent polls showing that 68% of French people disapprove of Trump, the French president made clear his desire to find agreement and celebrate similarities between the two countries.
“We have found reliable allies, friends, who came to our rescue - the United States of America is one of them - and nothing will ever separate us," he said. "The visit of President Donald Trump and his wife is a sign of a friendship that has lasted through time and I want to thank them for the choice made 100 years ago."
During his Bastille Day celebration speech he added that "nothing will ever separate us from the United States.”
After 30 hours in Paris, cultural visits, a dinner at the Eiffel Tower and their presence at the July 14th parade, the American president and his wife departed the Champs-Élysées as the crowd applauded them.
Security was a top priority during the visit, starting with their arrival early Thursday morning at Paris Orly airport, where air traffic was suspended for the landing of Air Force One, triggering serious delays in regular air traffic.
The disruption continued on the ground as road traffic was blocked along the highway linking Paris to the airport, as well as on other city streets.
The last American president invited to participate in the official Bastille Day ceremonies was George Bush in 1989, and France had not yet been a victim of terrorist attacks like the ones the country has suffered recently - including a year ago in Nice during the celebration.
The Trumps stayed at an official residence close to the Elysée Palace on the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré and their every step was carefully orchestrated to ensure their safety.
Their first stops on Thursday were the U.S. Embassy, where President Trump honored American World War I veterans in a ceremony to mark 100 years since the U.S. joined the conflict, while the First Lady visited sick children at the Necker Hospital, where she was offered a copy of the book The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry.
During that phase of their trip, President Macron was engaged in a separate meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
The two presidents met later at the vast, historic military complex at Les Invalides, where they inspected the troops and were welcomed to a large French army reception.
Melania Trump and Brigitte Macron joined their husbands at the historic site and were escorted to see Napoleon’s tomb.
From there the two heads of state went to the Elysée palace for a tête-à-tête about terrorism and trade, among other issues, before addressing journalists at a joint press conference.
During an interview before the visit, Macron had explained that he invited Trump to the celebration because “the United States is our first partner in terms of intelligence, in terms of military cooperation, in terms of the joint fight against terrorism."
He stressed that "the U.S. is also a historical partner...I invited Donald Trump on July 14 to celebrate the war with U.S. troops 100 years ago, pay tribute to them and celebrate a relationship that is unavoidable in the field of security. We need the United States of America."
Melania spent Thursday afternoon with her French counterpart. Although she had expressed her desire to visit the Montmartre district, popular among American tourists, instead she had a private tour of Notre Dame Cathedral.
The U.S. Secret Service had asked for Montmatre to be closed to the public, which French security refused.
They also took a boat ride along the Seine, during which Melania had the chance to appreciate some of Paris's most beautiful sites.
They both were lauded as "First Ladies of Fashion:" Melania, 47, in a demure red Dior skirt suit with matching red pumps, while Brigitte, 64, opted for a white Louis Vuitton mini dress with front zipper and blue swede high heels. Together they looked a picture of patriotic chic wearing the colors of the French flag.
For the dinner, they both changed their look: Melania traded her suit for a sleeveless white-and-blue dress with a red belt, while Madame Macron wore a short-sleeved black-and-white dress featuring a floral pattern and high neck collar.
The dinner was hosted at the plush Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, and attended personally by top French chef Alain Ducasse. The entire tower was closed to the public starting hours before, at 6 pm.
For Friday’s parade, Melania wore a Valentino white dress with a floral design and full skirt accompanied with a wide blue belt and blue Manolo Blahnik heels. Brigitte chose a navy silk Louis Vuitton ensemble with zipped jacket over a matching dress and flesh-colored pumps.
To close the visit, the presidential couples arrived after 10 a.m local time on Friday to witness the impressive military parade, where U.S. and French soldiers marched together under the Paris sunshine along the Champs-Élysées.
The celebration included a joint fly-pass of American and French jets symbolizing the countries’ military cooperation.
