President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron and their wives celebrated the Marcons’ three-day state visit with a formal official at the White House on Tuesday. The evening followed a day of talks on world issues, but particularly the leaders’pledge Tuesday to seek stronger measures to contain Iran.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait as the limousine carrying French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron approaches during their official arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump (R), first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) raise their hands in the air while on the Truman Balcony during the official arrival ceremony for the Macrons on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
First lady Melania Trump visits the National Gallery of Art with her French counterpart Brigitte Macron in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are greeted by guests during an arrival ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
President Donald Trump (L) walks with French President Emmanuel Macron during the arrival ceremony for Macron on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) review the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps during the official arrival ceremony for Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
First lady Melania Trump and her French counterpart Brigitte Macron visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
French President Emmanuel Macron kisses first lady Melania Trump during an arrival ceremony at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump flicks a bit of dandruff off his jacket during their meeting in the Oval Office following the official arrival ceremony for Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
French President Emmanuel Macron places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia outside Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
French President Emmanuel Macron clasps hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the conclusion of their joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk into the White House after welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a State Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A place setting for the State Dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron is shown in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Tables for the State Dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron are shown in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams and his wife Lacey Adams arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) and his wife Rebecca Kennedy arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Senior White House Advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his wife Judy McCarthy arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan Pompeo arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
French President Emmanuel Macron pats U.S. President Donald Trump (R) on the shoulder as they depart following their joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
French President Emmanuel Macron toasts U.S. President Donald Trump during a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Co-founder of the Carlyle Group David Rubenstein and Gabrielle Rubenstein arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Chief Executive Officer of IBM Virginia Rometty and her husband Mark Anthony Rometty arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Executive Vice President at Goldman Sachs John F. W. Rogers and a guest arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and his wife Karen Hernest arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Chad Wolf arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Henry Kravis, a co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and his wife Marie-Josee Kravis arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Chairman and CEO of The Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman and his wife Christine Schwarzman arrive for the State Dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
At a news conference with Macron, the U.S. president criticized the nuclear accord between Iran and world powers that he says does not address Tehran’s rising influence in the Middle East or its ballistic missile program.
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He called it insane, terrible and ridiculous.
“This is a deal with decayed foundations,” Trump said. “It’s a bad deal. It’s falling down.”
With a May 12 deadline looming for Trump to decide on restoring U.S. economic sanctions on Tehran, Macron said that after “frank” discussions he had come to believe that a “new deal,” in which the United States and Europe would tackle the outstanding concerns about Iran beyond its nuclear program, was needed.
Macron is using a three-day state visit to the United States as a high-stakes bid to mend the controversial Iran nuclear deal, which was intended to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb and heading off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The deal was negotiated under the Obama Administration and has been criticized for being unenforceable.
Under Macron‘s proposal, the United States and Europe would agree to block any Iranian nuclear activity until 2025 and beyond, address Iran’s ballistic missile program and generate conditions for a political solution to contain Iran in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
It was unclear whether Macron made substantial progress in his efforts to prevent Trump from pulling out of the 2015 deal, and Trump stressed there would be repercussions should Iran restart its nuclear program.
“If Iran threatens us in any way, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid,” Trump said.
But Trump said: “We will have a great shot at doing a much bigger, ‘maybe deal, maybe not’ deal.” The French believe progress had been made.
“What was important and new this morning was that President Trump was OK with putting on the table, with France, the idea of a new agreement that should be proposed to, and worked on with, the Iranians,” a French official said.
It was unclear what that would mean for the fate of the 2015 accord and whether the other countries that signed it, such as China and Russia, would agree to new measures against Iran.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was expected to also make a case for the accord during a lower-key visit to the White House on Friday.
A source familiar with the internal debate at the White House said one option under discussion was giving Europe more time to toughen the terms of the current Iran deal.
Iran postured this week, threatening to ramp up its nuclear program if the deal collapses and a senior Iranian official said Tehran might quit a treaty designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons if Trump scrapped the agreement.
BACKSLAPPING
Trump and Macron have developed a strong relationship at a time when many European leaders have kept a certain distance from Trump.
“On both sides of the ocean some two years ago, very few would have bet on us being here together today,” Macron told Trump in a toast at a glittering state dinner, Trump’s first since he took office in January 2017.
“I got to know you. You got to know me. We both know that none of us easily changes his mind,”Macron said with a smile.
Trump, 71, and Macron, 40, were remarkably chummy through the day, repeatedly shaking and grabbing each other’s hands, exchanging kisses on the cheek and slapping each other’s backs.
At one point in the Oval Office, Trump brushed what he said was dandruff from Macron‘s jacket, saying: “We have to make him perfect – he is perfect.”
Macron hopes to leverage their friendship into progress on not only Iran but exempting Europe from steel tariffs, and protecting the 2016 Paris climate accord.
Their talks also covered the U.S. presence in Syria weeks after the United States, France and Britain launched air strikes in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump wants to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, believing Islamic State militants are largely defeated, but Macron and other allies argue they should stay to ensure militants do not resurface and to block Iran from strengthening its foothold.
Trump made clear troops would not be withdrawn imminently.
“We want to come home. We’ll be coming home. But we want to leave a strong and lasting footprint,” Trump said.
The two leaders also discussed European calls for exemptions from Trump’s plan for 25 percent tariffs on steel imports.
BUSINESS AND STYLE
Later on Tuesday, Trump hosted Macron at the first state dinner since taking office. First Lady Melania Trump planned the event personally, and reportedly did not call in a party planner as other administrations have. The high-profile event featured spring lamb and New Orleans-style jambalaya before a performance by the Washington National Opera.
More than 1,200 fragrant branches of cherry blossom filled the hall.
Trump toasted his wife during the dinner.
“To America’s absolutely incredible first lady, thank you for making this an evening we will always cherish and remember. Thank you, Melania,” the President said as the guest applauded.
The dinner capped a visit that was not just politically critical, but also the first event where the first lady emerged as a leader of the White House culture and curator of the administration’s history. Guests said that the event showed meticulous attention to detail and respect for the Macrons’ home country.
Melania Trump drew attention with a wide-brimmed white hat worn to greet the Macrons. At the state dinner, she wore a black Chantilly lace Chanel haute couture gown, hand-painted with silver and encrusted with crystals and sequins. Gowns gifted by designers for official events become the property of the National Archives.
Chief executives in the room included Tim Cook of Apple , Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin, Fred Smith of FedEx and Ginni Rometty of IBM.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch attended, as did private equity executives Henry Kravis of KKR, David Rubenstein, co-founder of Carlyle Group, and Blackstone Group’s Stephen Schwarzman.
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