him, was also in attendance at Notre Dame. Macron, who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, has made a point of cultivating their bond since the Republican defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. But Macron’s office nonetheless played down the significance of the invitation, saying other politicians not now in office had been invited as well. Trump was invited as president-elect of a “friendly nation,” Macron’s office said, adding, “This is in no way exceptional, we’ve done it before.” Trump is known to revel in pomp and circumstance. One of his first trips as president his first term was to Paris, where Macron made him the the guest of honor at Bastille Day events. Trump later said he wanted to replicate the grand military parade back in the United States. Relations between France and the U.S. during Trump’s first term began warmly enough but grew increasingly strained over time. Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner, and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship suffered after Macron criticized Trump for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual defense pact. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump often mocked Macron, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies. But Macron was one of the first global leaders to congratulate Trump last month after the election. When he accepted the invitation to travel to Paris, Trump said Macron had done “a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!” Trump was president in 2019, when a fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark.