President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced plans to travel to Paris this weekend in what would be his first trip overseas since his November election win.
“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “President Emmanuel Macron has 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!”
The trip marks the president-elect’s first known trip outside of the U.S. since May 2023, when he visited his golf properties in Ireland and Scotland.
The historic cathedral was damaged by fire in April 2019 and has since been under reconstruction. While restoration efforts will likely be ongoing for years, Notre Dame is set to welcome visitors on Dec. 7.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to deliver remarks that day and attend the consecration of the altar during a Mass presided over by the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich on Dec. 8.
More than a year after first taking office in 2018, Trump welcomed Macron to the White House during his first state dinner.
After Trump’s election victory last month, the French leader quickly congratulated him in a post on X.
“Ready to work together as we did for four years,” Macron wrote. “With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Trump said Saturday that he would nominate Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France in his incoming administration.
At the end of his first term in 2020, Trump pardoned the elder Kushner, years after he pleaded guilty to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign donations in 2005 and served 14 months in prison.
Trump has raised alarms more broadly amongst some European allies in light of his comments on the campaign trail complaining about Ukraine aid and threatening to encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to countries that didn’t pay enough for defense.
