President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and and his wife Brigitte Macron, walk from the viewing stand a the conclusion of the Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, Friday, July 14, 2017. (Photo by CAROLYN KASTER / AP)
PARIS 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron says his glamorous Paris charm offensive on Donald Trump might have changed the US president鈥檚 mind about climate change.
Macron defended his outreach to Trump, saying in an interview Sunday in the Journal du dimanche newspaper 鈥渙ur countries are friends, so we should be too.鈥�
After a tense, white-knuckle handshake at their first meeting in May, Macron said they gained 鈥渂etter, intimate knowledge of each other鈥� during Trump鈥檚 visit last week.
Macron said 鈥淭rump listened to me鈥� on their main point of contention 鈥� Trump鈥檚 withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement 鈥� and 鈥渟aid he would try to find a solution in the coming months.鈥�
The French leader acknowledged Trump鈥檚 visit was carefully choreographed to give Americans a 鈥渟tronger image of France鈥� after deadly Islamic extremist attacks damaged tourism.