Trump, Jill Biden to visit Notre Dame Cathedral for reopening ceremony after fire
President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that he will be traveling to Paris, France, this weekend to attend the re-opening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating 2019 fire that destroyed its spire.
First lady Jill Biden will also be attending the ceremony as part of an overseas trip that will last from Tuesday until the weekend.
"It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
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"President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so," he added. "It will be a very special day for all!"
Flames engulfed the historic 860-year-old cathedral on April 15, 2019, ravaging its vaulted ceiling and toppling its 19th century spire.
Despite speculation that the fire was an act of arson amid many such acts against churches in France, investigators claimed in 2020 that the fire appeared to have been "started by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system."
In the wake of the fire, Macron had pledged to restore the cathedral to its former glory within five years and promised the restoration would render the church "more beautiful than ever."
Macron's claim drew skepticism from experts who maintained that the project could take decades. About 250 companies and hundreds of experts participated in the five-year restoration project, which cost hundreds of millions of euros.
During a tour of the rebuilt structure in November, Macron praised the many people involved.
"You have transformed ashes into art," he told those present.
Plans to rebuild the cathedral with modernist elements drew widespread outrage from the public, including from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a socialist and atheist who maintained a conservative line on the restoration.
"The Cathedral #NotreDame is a work that belongs to all Parisians, to all French people and to the whole world," she said in a tweet at the time, according to a translation. "I am in favor of an identical restoration."
Notre Dame went up in flames during Trump's administration, prompting him to tweet out a suggestion for putting the fire out at the time.
"So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris," he tweeted. "Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!"
So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to [email protected]
