Trump wasn't going to go to France. Then he heard about their military parade.
Having only just returned stateside from a trip to Poland and Germany, President Trump is already back off to Europe, this time enticed overseas by the promise of a military parade in Paris, The Washington Post reports.
"President Trump was not expected to attend France's Bastille Day, which this year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States' entry into World War I," the Post writes. After all, Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are not exactly fast friends — the two leaders have clashed on a number of issues including the Paris climate deal. In the end, though, the U.S. president was reportedly won over by the ensured sight of "1,200 people, 211 vehicles, 341 horseback riders, and 63 aircraft."
Not everyone is pleased with Trump's decision to show up, though. "The holiday of July 14th is that of the freedom of the French," said far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who lost to Macron in France's recent presidential election. "Mr. Trump represents NATO and the enslavement of our nation to an international coalition in which it plays no role."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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