President Trump flew 3,800 miles for ceremonies to honor the military sacrifice in World War I, but on his first full day in France, he skipped a visit to an historic cemetery prompting ridicule from Winston Churchill’s grandson and others.
Early Saturday, the White House announced Trump and the first lady had scuttled plans, due to bad weather, for their first stop in the weekend’s remembrance activities — a visit to the solemn Aisne Marne American Cemetery, marking the ferocious Battle of Belleau Wood.
The White House did not say why the president chose not to motorcade when taking a helicopter was no longer an option. The cemetery is 50 miles from Paris.
Instead the Trump’s returned to the U.S. ambassador to France’s residence, where he and the first lady are staying in Paris, for about four and a half hours.
But the sight of dignitaries arriving at other sites outside Paris, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, led some foreign policy analysts to speculate the U.S. commander in chief just wasn’t up for it.
“It’s incredible that a president would travel to France for this significant anniversary — and then remain in his hotel room watching TV rather than pay in person his respects to the Americans who gave their lives in France for the victory gained 100 years ago tomorrow,” said David Frum, who served as a speechwriter to former president George W. Bush.
Nicholas Soames, a British politician and grandson of Winston Churchill, ripped Trump for canceling the visit due to weather.
“They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen,” Soames tweeted.
Soames, who is a member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, included a hashtag saying Trump is “not fit to represent his great country.”
They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry
— Nicholas Soames (@NSoames) November 10, 2018
Francois Heisbourg, a political analyst and former campaign adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, posted a photograph on Twitter of someone bicycling in Paris and wrote the weather that kept Trump from the cemetery is: “Nothing a cyclist can’t handle, let alone a presidential helo.”
A view of the weather in Paris which is supposed to have deterred @realDonaldTrump from paying his respects to the brave American soldiers who gave their lives for freedom at the AisneMarne war cemetery this afternoon. Nothing a cyclist can't handle, let alone a presidential helo pic.twitter.com/60aYrKV58i
— François Heisbourg (@FHeisbourg) November 10, 2018
Kelly Magsamen, who served on the National Security Council under both Republican and a Democratic presidents, said it displayed “real low energy,” for Trump “to not bother to honor the sacrifice of American soldiers in WWI due to some rain. Somehow everyone else was able to do so today.”
Real low energy, @realDonaldTrump to not bother to honor the sacrifice of American soldiers in WWI due to some rain. Somehow everyone else was able to do so today. Obama never had this problem. He also visited our troops in war zones.
— Kelly Magsamen (@kellymagsamen) November 10, 2018
White House chief of staff John Kelly and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the roughly 50-mile long trip to the cemetery in a small motorcade of vehicles.
The drive took about 90 minutes each way.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled a similar distance by car to a commemorative event in northern France.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also participated in armistice events outside the city today, at a battle site about two hours north of Paris by car.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits a delegation of Canadian veterans at Vimy Ridge.
Trump is in Paris for the weekend with dozens of other world leaders to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
On Sunday he’s scheduled to attend an event marking Armistice Day and visit a cemetery where Americans who died in both world wars are buried.