U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the world stage on Saturday to join leaders for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris to celebrate the renovation and reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire destroyed the landmark.
Earlier this week, Trump said he had accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron.
He said Macron had 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!”
Trump touched down at Paris’ Orly Airport on Saturday morning. More than 20 French government security agents helped ensure his safety alongside the Secret Service, according to French national police. Security is tighter than usual outside the U.S. Embassy and other sites around Paris for the grandiose reopening.
It should be recalled that Notre Dame was damaged in a fire that raged for 12 hours on April 15, 2019, nearly destroying the iconic 1,200-year-old church.
Although experts said at the time that the restoration could take up to 40 years, Macron vowed to rebuild in five years.
“The decision to rebuild Notre Dame was about our capacity to save, restore, sometimes reinvent what we are by preserving where we come from,” Macron told 60 Minutes. “This is a message of achievement.”
Ahead of the Notre Dame event, Trump will meet with Macron and Britain’s Prince William — who’s also meeting with Jill Biden, according to the British royal palace.