French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the special relationship between the United States and France during his state visit to Washington last week by planting a tree with President Donald Trump on the grounds of the White House. The tree vanished over the weekend.
Macron and Trump planted it on Monday, using golden shovels and with wives Brigitte Macron and Melania Trump looking on.
It was a symbolic gesture: the tree came from a northern French forest where 2,000 US Marines died during the first world war.
Macron tweeted the day after the planting, “100 years ago, American soldiers fought in France, in Belleau to defend our freedom. This oak tree will be a reminder at the White House of these ties that bind us.”
Photographs taken by Yuri Gripas of Reuters on Saturday showed only a yellow patch of grass in the spot on the White House grounds where the tree was planted.
Amid fervent speculation, France on Sunday came through with an explanation: the tree, now not just a plant but a symbol of US-French relations, had been placed in quarantine.
“It was actually a special favor from Trump to France to be able to plant the tree the day of the president’s visit,” an official from Macron’s office said.
“Since then, it has returned to quarantine and will soon be replanted in the White House gardens,” the official said, adding: “Don’t worry, the tree is doing very well.”
> Shiuly Rina
Tree Planted by Trump and Macron Disappears
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