Welcome to Monday’s installment of Washington Secrets. Donald Trump has just landed on French soil, so we look at whether his G7 hosts can give him the European edition of the “Trump Show” he so dearly wants, and whether they can do better than the Canadian version last year (with their well-meaning but worthy meetings). Plus, we watched the UFC extravaganza (well, part of it — there’s a World Cup on you know) and tried to decode it for you…The Canadians had it all worked out. The joint communique had been ditched to avoid squabbling over words, the meetings had been shortened, and Donald Trump had been offered a chance to play one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world.It wasn’t enough.
Halfway through a session on wildfires at the 2025 G7 summit outside Calgary last year, Trump decided he had enough, asking aides why he had to sit through such mind-numbing briefings. He left that night, ditching plans for a second day at the summit. (He claimed it was because of conflict in the Middle East, but Secrets knows better.)
This week, it is Emmanuel Macron and his French government who are hosting G7 leaders. And he has pulled out his highest honor for Trump, in the form of a private dinner amid the glittering, golden grandeur of the Palace of Versailles, the sumptuous residence of the Sun King Louis XIV.
