Donald Trump's latest dinner at the gilded Palace of Versailles stands as a reminder of his unwavering ambition for opulence, revealing the stark contrasts between his personal vision and the complex realities of governance.
For President Donald Trump, what’s good is gold.
The gold-covered furnishings at his casinos and hotels. The golden script and trinkets that increasingly adorn the West Wing. The “golden era” he has proclaimed for America in his second term as president.
But on Wednesday night, Trump dined at what he acknowledges as the gold standard: Versailles, the enormous, gilded French palace that was home to Louis XIV, the self-appointed Sun King whose embrace of golden grandeur has long fascinated the U.S. president. French President Emmanuel Macron invited Trump to join him at the palace, about 15 miles southwest of Paris, in a bid to extend the U.S. president’s stay in France.
Trump, who arrived in France on Monday for the Group of Seven summit that wrapped up Wednesday afternoon, is notorious for his abrupt departures from international gatherings. White House officials last week said that it wasn’t yet decided whether he would extend his trip to dine at Versailles, but the U.S. president told reporters that the invitation was too alluring to pass on.
