President Donald Trump plans to use the annual billionaires gathering at Davos to extend special hospitality to French President Emmanuel Macron by inviting him to a state visit to the U.S.
Trump has hosted numerous foreign leaders but has yet to host an official state visit.
He expressed deep appreciation for the red carpet treatment Macron showed him on a visit to France on a visit pegged to Bastille Day. They viewed the Bastille Day parade together and dined with their spouses, First Lady Melania Trump and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, in the Eiffel Tower.
The White House would not officially confirm reports about the planned invitation.
‘We don’t have an announcement to make at this time,’ an official told CNN.
However, as France 24 noted, Trump didn’t get the honor of a state dinner at Elysee Palace.
Trump plans to use Davos to invite French President Emmanuel Macron for first state visit
Trump and Macron bonded during the visit, despite some policy disputes over a pat to combat climate change that Trump said the U.S. would withdraw from.
The successful visit came despite an awkward meeting with a lingering white knuckle handshake as the two men appeared to jockey for dominance.
Macron played a key role in persuading Trump to go to Davos, Axios reported.
A source said he reminded Trump how many world leaders would be there, and that it would be fun.
An official state dinner would be a major undertaking for the White House protocol staff as well as the office of First Lady Melania Trump, which recently announced new staff hires.
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attend the traditional Bastille day military parade on the Champs-Elysees on July 14, 2017 in Paris France. Bastille Day, the French National day commemorated last year the 100th anniversary of the entry of the United States of America into World War I.
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attend the traditional Bastille day military parade on the Champs-Elysees on July 14, 2017 in Paris, France
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, center left, and U.S. President Donald Trump, center right, shake hands while posing for photographs at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Thursday, July 13, 2017
The first lady notably decided not to accompany the president on his trip to Davos, after her office cited scheduling and logistical concerns.
The news comes after days of reports about an affair Trump is alleged to have had with adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to Daniels weeks before the election.