Who is Jim?


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President Trump landed in Paris on Thursday, but he probably won't get to see his Francophile pal Jim on the trip. That's because Jim, who "loves Paris," doesn't go to Paris anymore. "Paris is no longer Paris," Jim told the president, a remark Trump recounted to the Conservative Political Action Conference in March.
Here's the thing: Nobody knows who Jim is. Trump has never offered Jim's last name and "the White House has not responded to a request for comment about who Jim is or whether he will be on the trip," The Associated Press reports. A deep-dive into Jim's identity by The New Yorker in March also yielded no results:
Trump doesn't follow any Jims on Twitter. But it's easy to find Jims with whom he's crossed paths. Jim Kelly, formerly of the Buffalo Bills? "No, that would not be Jim Kelly," a representative said. Jim Dolan, the CEO of Cablevision and the chairman of Madison Square Garden, who lent Trump the Rockettes for his inaugural concert? "That's not him," his spokesperson responded. Jim Furyk, the golfer? "Not him," according to his agent. [The New Yorker]
The list of incorrect Jims goes on and on. All we do know from Trump, as AP writes, is that "Jim's story serves as a cautionary tale — a warning that even a place as lovely as Paris can be ruined if leaders are complacent about terrorism."
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But for now, Jim remains a John Doe. The A.V. Club suggests Jim is Trump's imaginary friend. Another potential Jim, Jim McGreevey, who attended a premiere with Trump in 2006, said he could "only wish" he was the right Jim. "The last time I was in Paris was eight years ago, with my then 7-year-old daughter," McGreevey told The New Yorker. "Vive la France, Jim."
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
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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