‘King of the world’ Donald Trump to ditch Washington for Paris after midterms
- Trump to travel to Paris for the Armistice Day 100th anniversary
- Foreign policy has often been a refuge for presidents dealing with scandal or a hostile Congress
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nancy Cook on politico.com on November, 5 2018.
Even if the Democrats take back the House in this week’s midterm elections, US President Donald Trump will still have Paris.
Just three days after Tuesday’s vote, Trump will skip town and fly to France for a military celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war.
He’ll be joined by his top national security officials, along with first lady Melania Trump, for a weekend getaway that could also be an escape from bruising election results.
It will also be a chance for Trump to refocus on foreign policy after a midterm campaign mostly focused on domestic issues.
Trump may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will also attend the celebration at Paris’s Arc de Triomphe.
French President Emmanuel Macron will likely want to discuss fresh US sanctions Trump has slapped on Iran which Paris and other Western European allies strongly oppose.