Trump and the reopening of the Notre Dame

It’s always a good time to visit Paris. But it’s even more exciting during an historic event.

So as I’m strolling through the beautiful streets of Paris, I enjoy making connections with locals. The topic of the day is the reopening of the famous landmark – The Notre Dame Cathedral. A fire in April 2019 caused serious damage; but after five years of reconstruction, the cathedral reopened with a ceremony yesterday, on 7 December 2024.

But what took me by surprise is that the main attraction that the locals have expressed was that President Trump is in town for the grand opening. Parisians, who are known for their pride, and infamous for their hostility towards foreigners, are so excited for the coming of the US president?!

When the first local I met mentioned Trump’s arrival with excitement, I thought it was random. When the second person said the same thing, I thought maybe they were saying this to me because I’m American. But when the third and fourth said the same thing, I realized there is something deep going on. When giving this some thought, and after asking some of my new local friends, I understand that Trump is not only an American phenomenon, he’s a global phenomenon.

The opening ceremony of the Notre Dame in Paris taught me that the entire free world is raising their eyes to President Trump.

Also President Zelensky took advantage of Trump’s arrival for a meeting with him and Macron. The expectations from Trump are huge. Aside from ending the wars in Ukraine, and in Israel, my French friends expressed their hope for Trump to help solve their economic and internal crisis. After years of weak leadership, the free world has high hopes for change. Only time will tell if these high expectations will be justified, but for now, I am embracing the hope and excitement.