"I am the boss!" boasted the US President, Donald Trump, in an ironic tone at the last G-7 multilateral meeting dedicated to "economic growth." The American president made the others wait, as is customary for him, and decided to break the ice with the rest of the leaders with his biting comment, which effectively reflects what the Evian summit has been from start to finish, with the grand finale at Versailles.
Trump personally congratulated the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, for hosting "a very well-organized summit" that has helped mend transatlantic relations. Everything in Evian was precisely designed to please the American president, who agreed to change his plans and stay until the final dinner with another of his memorable phrases: "Versailles is not gold leaf, but real gold."
Despite being the host, Macron remained practically in the background until the final press conference and completely gave the spotlight to the "American friend," who was able to capitalize on the Iran agreement and once again engage in the peace process in Ukraine with a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump felt comfortable and ready to make his brief and incisive comments in front of the cameras at the beginning of the meetings. "Do you want to stay for the meeting? I have no problem with it," was his way of sealing his entrance on the scene after saying "I am the boss," one of the highlights of the summit along with the moment when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave him a Germany jersey with TRUMP printed on the back along with the number 47.
The American president was treated like royalty by his French host, who conceived the grand finale at Versailles as "a moment to celebrate our friendship." "It's not a gala dinner, but a dinner to celebrate the 250 years of US independence, in which France played its part," Macron pointed out, also ready to capitalize on the diplomatic success of his last G-7 ten months before his departure from the Élysée.
"Versailles and the United States" is the title of the exhibition tailored for Trump, who will enter with Macron and Brigitte into the magnificent Hall of Mirrors coinciding with twilight in the gardens. There will be no 4th of July-style fireworks, nor light and sound shows at the fountains, but Trump will leave with an immersive experience in French grandeur that will make him feel not only as "the boss" but as a true king.