Dinner at Versailles, "a G7 without frills or artifice": Trump praises Macron, "who won't be around much longer"

Speaking to the media outlet Axios, the American president reflected on the G7 summit and the dinner held in his honor at Versailles, showering praise on Emmanuel Macron.

Donald Trump made no secret of his delight. Two days after the diplomatic trip that took him from Évian to Versailles, the American president was full of praise for Emmanuel Macron. In a filmed interview with an Axios journalist, he reflected on his forty-eight hours in France, commending the way his French counterpart chaired the G7 summit and orchestrated the dinner held Wednesday evening at the Palace of Versailles to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The White House occupant began by praising the French president's hosting skills. Macron "did a tremendous job hosting the G7, really well, without any fuss or frills," he declared. He then went on to recount the behind-the-scenes details of his visit. According to Trump's account, the French president contacted him about a week before the summit: "Would you do me a favor, would you come to Paris? We'd like to pay you a tribute."

Trump praises France's Macron:

Macron did a great job of hosting the G7. Really good. No games.

He invited me about a week before. He said, “Would you do me a favor? Would you come to Paris? We’d like to honor you.”

I viewed it as honoring the nation. But he said, “I’d like to… pic.twitter.com/0KfJclMIWy

— Clash Report (@clashreport)

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"He knew my weakness"

Donald Trump claims he wasn't initially keen on going to Versailles: "I was a little hesitant to go." But Macron, he says, knew how to convince him. "He knew my weakness because Versailles is, in my opinion, one of the most magnificent places there is, so I let myself be persuaded," the Republican confided. When questioned about this "weakness" by the journalist, he elaborated: "Well, places like Versailles... It's simply incredible." And he emphasized the exceptional nature of the event: "I understand they don't usually host dinners at Versailles. Yet, we were treated to a fantastic dinner."

It was during this "fantastic" Versailles evening that a dramatic turn of events occurred. Just before dinner, Donald Trump had the text of the agreement ending hostilities with Iran brought to him, and it was signed at the table, to everyone's surprise. "It was a surprise," confirmed Economy Minister Roland Lescure, who was among the guests, on RTL radio. Emmanuel Macron "created the necessary conditions for the signing," sources close to the President emphasized, even though France was not a party to the negotiations.

Amid this chorus of praise, one reservation. Referring to Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump remarked that he "won't be around much longer," an allusion to the end of the French president's second term, which is set to end in 2027.