Donald Trump will travel to Paris this weekend to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral along with 50 other world leaders, marking the president-elect's immediate return to the international stage.
As Breitbart News reported, the cathedral is now open to worshipers and the public after more than five years of reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2019 gutted Paris' towering masterpiece and nearly destroyed it. Publication has resumed.
The ceremonies, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, will be heavily guarded and will be attended by more than 50 heads of state and government.
This photo shows the restored baptistery of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, designed by French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet, in Paris on November 29, 2024 (CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON /POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
President Trump announced Monday night in a post on his Truth Social site that he would be one of them. He wrote:
I am proud to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France on Saturday to attend the reopening of the magnificent and historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been completely restored after a devastating fire five years ago. .
President Emmanuel Macron has done a great job ensuring that Notre Dame Cathedral is restored to its full level of glory, and even more. It will be a very special day for everyone!
AP memo This visit will be President Trump's first overseas trip since winning the presidential election in November. As a candidate, he traveled to Scotland and Ireland in May 2023, visiting local golf courses.
President Trump announced his intention to appoint real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France.
Notre Dame's reopening will be an elaborate multi-day celebration starting Saturday. AP report details include:
According to the cathedral's website, Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside over a reopening service that afternoon, where he and his staff will knock on Notre Dame's shuttered doors to reopen them.
The archbishop will also symbolically evoke Notre Dame Cathedral's roaring grand organ. A fire that melted the cathedral's lead roof covered the giant musical instrument in toxic dust. The 8,000 pipes have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and reconditioned.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to address VIP guests, including President Trump, in a sign that he is squarely focused on presidential business ahead of his formal swearing-in next month.
No word yet on whether President Joe Biden will also visit the French capital, or instead spend the weekend relaxing at a beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, as is his custom.
