Chicago – December 06, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump will visit France this weekend to attend the reopening of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, marking his first overseas trip after winning the election last month. Trump announced his plans on Monday via his social media app, Truth Social. The cathedral, which was severely damaged by a fire in 2019, has been under restoration for five years. The 700-million-euro project was funded by donations from 150 countries and used traditional carpentry techniques dating back to the 13th century.
Sources close to the president-elect confirmed that Trump’s trip is at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The reopening event, set for Saturday afternoon, will have tight security, with measures similar to those used during the Paris Olympics, according to Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez. Around 50 heads of state are expected to attend, though the exact list of attendees has not been revealed. U.S. President Joe Biden will not be attending, but First Lady Jill Biden is expected to be present at the ceremony.
