French officers resolved a clumsy seating dilemma on the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, putting First Lady Brigitte Macron between US President-elect Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s spouse and daughter within the entrance row in the course of the ceremony.
The presence of Trump and the outgoing president’s household gave protocol planners a headache so quickly after probably the most bitter election campaigns in U.S. historical past.
Trump has persistently ridiculed Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” whereas Biden known as Trump a “risk to democracy” and made it recognized that he thought of him a “fascist” within the run-up to the November 5 vote.
The soon-to-be forty seventh president was handled as a visitor of honor on Saturday in Paris, instantly giving French President Emmanuel Macron a seat on the entrance of the congregation.
Jill Biden, representing the outgoing president, and the couple’s daughter, Ashley, have been additionally seated within the entrance row, however with Brigitte separating them from Trump.
President Biden, 82, determined to not journey to Paris and appeared visibly drained as he made the historic first go to by a U.S. chief to Angola in southern Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Before the ceremony started, the US first girl and Trump have been briefly seated alone and could possibly be seen exchanging pleasantries.
Trump made his signature raised-fist gesture – immortalized when he survived an assassination try in July – as he entered the cathedral.
Wearing an uncommon yellow tie, he stopped briefly to talk to Prince William, inheritor to the British throne, earlier than taking his seat.
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