No one moaned about his Paris trip

THE French may be past masters of protests and riots.

But when Donald Trump visited the country on a two-day state visit in July there were virtually no demonstrations and no arrests. Instead, he was greeted with enthusiasm.

This is despite the fact he had recently angered many by deciding to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Newly- elected French president Emmanuel Macron – who is politically centre-left and who shared a tense, lengthy handshake with Mr Trump during their first meeting in Brussels in May – feted the President during his French visit, declaring ‘nothing will ever separate us’.

He went to extraordinary lengths to impress Mr Trump by turning Bastille Day – an occasion of national pride – into a celebration of friendship between the two countries.

The two leaders watched a spectacular parade down the Champs-Elysees, lasting nearly two hours, featuring American troops and Air Force jets as well as every uniformed element of the French state. There were tanks, missile launchers, Napoleonic cavalry units, fire engines, motorbikes, police cadets, prison officers and even a unit of French customs officers, along with two flypasts and musical bands. Mr Trump was on his feet clapping throughout. He also showered his hosts with compliments about the people, food, architecture and France’s historic ties to America.

At the end of the visit, the leaders’ handshake lasted a full 29 seconds. On his way home aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump said: ‘America and France will never be defeated or divided.’ Paris police reported no arrests, and the only discernible protest was a small rally on the other side of Paris.