As the Russia scandal looms over the White House, Trump heads to Paris for a meeting with Macron
President Trump touched down in Paris Thursday morning, where he is expected to meet this afternoon with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss ways to improve relations between the United States and France. Officials say the two men, both newly elected presidents in their respective countries, will discuss global security and counterterrorism issues, along with the Syrian civil war.
But the conversations could be tense. During the French election, Trump effectively backed Macron's opponent, Marine Le Pen. And Macron has been a vocal critic of Trump's decision to pull America out of the Paris climate agreement. Their first meeting, CNN notes, "was marked by aggressive body language: Macron gripping Trump's hand for an extended shake, their eyes locking as cameras clicked away." But Reuters reports that one French official says Macron wants to "bring Trump back into the circle so that the United States, which remains the world's number one power, is not excluded."
The visit comes at a difficult time for Trump; his son, Donald Trump Jr., is facing scrutiny for agreeing to meet with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer back in 2016, after being promised dirt on Trump's then-presidential rival, Hillary Clinton. The scandal has brought new attention to the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After the meeting, the two will have dinner with their wives on the second story of the iconic Eiffel Tower. On Friday, Trump will be a guest of honor at a Bastille Day celebration.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
-
Testosterone therapy in women highlights the lack of women’s health researchThe explainer There is no FDA-approved testosterone product for women
-
Magazine solutions - November 7, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 7, 2025
-
Magazine printables - November 7, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 7, 2025
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
