US President-elect Donald Trump and Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, engaged in conversation inside the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on December 7, 2024. – Reuters
French authorities deftly navigated a potentially uncomfortable seating arrangement at the Notre Dame cathedral's reopening ceremony on Saturday, positioning First Lady Brigitte Macron between US President-elect Donald Trump and the family of outgoing President Joe Biden in the front row. The presence of Trump and Biden's family posed a significant protocol challenge, given the intense animosity that characterized the recent US election campaign. Throughout the campaign, Trump frequently derided Biden as 'Sleepy Joe,' while Biden, in turn, labeled Trump a 'threat to democracy' and, on the eve of the November 5 vote, openly referred to him as a 'fascist.'
Despite the contentious history, the future 47th US president was accorded the honor of guest of honor at the Paris event, seated directly to the right of French President Emmanuel Macron in the front row. Representing the outgoing administration, Jill Biden and the couple's daughter, Ashley, were also seated in the front row, with Brigitte Macron acting as a buffer between them and Trump. President Biden, aged 82, opted not to travel to Paris, instead making a historic visit to Angola in southern Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he appeared visibly fatigued.
Prior to the commencement of the ceremony, the US First Lady and Trump found themselves briefly seated alone and were observed exchanging pleasantries. Trump, known for his signature raised fist gesture—a move immortalized after his July assassination attempt—entered the cathedral. Dressed in an atypical yellow tie, he paused to converse with Prince William, the heir to the British throne, before taking his seat.
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