President Donald Trump used to rag on Paris, but at a press conference during his visit to France Thursday he said that that city will be “very, very peaceful,” as they now have a “great president.”
Trump had implicitly supported nationalist Marine Le Pen during the French presidential election, but has grown to like her opponent and victor Emmanuel Macron. The president is visiting France as the nation’s guest of honor for Bastille Day. The two presidents had a bilateral meeting Thursday and discussed trade, counter terrorism efforts, and the Paris climate change accord.
Macron and Trump, along with their wives, will have dinner Thursday night at the Eiffel Tower. The two described themselves at the press conference as friends. “We are the representatives of two countries that have been allies forever,” Macron said. Trump added that they have a “good friendship.”
Later, when asked about his previous comments that Paris is “out of control” and “dangerous” because of jihadi terrorism, Trump said, “You know what? It’s going to be just fine because you have a great president. You have someone who is going to run this country right.”
He also described Macron as a “tough” leader who won’t go “easy on people who are going to be breaking laws and showing this tremendous violence.” Trump said he would like to visit Paris again and added, “You better do a good job, please. Otherwise you’re going to make me look very bad.”