NEW YORK — President Trump praised French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday for the Bastille Day parade he attended at Macron’s invitation in July, vowing to hold his own major parade down Pennsylvania Avenue next summer.
Trump said the Bastille Day parade, which celebrated the French military, was among “the greatest parades I’ve ever seen.” His reflection on the festivities came moments before the two leaders met privately at a hotel outside the annual United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York.
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“We may do something like that on July 4th in Washington down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump said of the Bastille Day parade, which showcased elements of the French military.
“It was a tremendous thing for France and for the people of France. People don’t know what great warriors they are in France,” Trump continued. “We’re going to have to try and top it….It was really a beautiful thing to see. It was really so well done. We’re actually thinking about 4th of July having a really great parade to show our military strength.”
Trump also touted the $700 billion in military spending his administration has encouraged.
The president and Macron are expected to discuss the Paris climate accords, among other issues, during their bilateral meeting on Monday. Although Trump announced in June that the administration planned to withdraw the U.S. from the deal, reports have suggested in recent days that Trump may allow the U.S. to stay party to the deal under the right conditions. The White House has denied the reports, but Macron, a vocal advocate for the Paris agreement, may pounce on any sign of wavering when it comes to Trump’s commitment to pulling out of the deal.
“We’re going to have a very productive meeting,” Trump said of his discussion with Macron. “We have a lot of things to talk about. We’ll be discussing many different elements.”
