TRUMP IN FRANCE

France yesterday rolled out the red carpet to welcome Donald Trump on a presidential visit laden with military pomp that the White House hopes will offer respite from a growing scandal back home.

The US president's brief 24-hour trip to the French capital coincides with celebrations for Bastille Day, France's national day which is marked on Friday, and the 100th anniversary of US involvement in World War I.

Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the 71-year-old stepped onto French soil for the first time as president hoping the visit will distract from weighty allegations that his family and inner circle colluded with Russia to win the 2016 US election.

The scandal has put his son and top aides in legal jeopardy, cast a pall over his efforts to remake the political agenda and may yet imperil his presidency.

During the brief visit, Trump who sees himself as a transformative figure in US history will be the guest of honour for today's Bastille Day festivities that mark a pivotal point in the French Revolution.

This year's event featuring 63 planes, 29 helicopters, 241 horses and 3,720 soldiers also coincides with the centenary of America entering World War I.

More than 50,000 Americans died in what then-president Woodrow Wilson described as the "war to end all wars," a conflict that forged the trans-Atlantic alliance in steel.

On the eve of the parade, Trump will visit Napoleon's tomb, hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and share a Michelin-starred dinner atop the Eiffel Tower.

Talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on joint efforts to combat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, where American and French troops are in action side-by-side.

Macron, 39, is hoping to use the weight of history and French grandeur to charm the unpredictable Trump.

But it remains to be seen whether the all the frills and delicate cuisine of acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse will woo this steak-and-ketchup president.

Trump may struggle to stop his mind wondering back to explosive emails in which his oldest son Donald Trump junior appeared to embrace the offer of dirt on Hillary Clinton from Russian interlocutors.

Shortly before leaving Washington, he had to parry criticisms that his administration was in disarray and his legislative agenda on the rocks.

Trump and Macron appear to have little in common, with their views at odds on everything from globalisation to immigration.

Objections against Trump's visit to France have so far been muted, with the government insisting on the need to build bridges with the White House and avoid Trump becoming isolated internationally.

Source: AFP