Paris mayor, Clooney fire back at Trump for insulting city


6 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

PARIS (AP) — Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, France's foreign minister and an American cinema luminary pushed back at U.S. President Donald Trump for insulting the City of Light on Friday in a speech.

Trump evoked his friend Jim, "a very, very substantial guy," in an address at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Jim used to be a regular visitor to Paris, Trump said, but hasn't made the trip in four or five years because "Paris is no longer Paris."

Hidalgo tweeted a photo of herself alongside Mickey Mouse and Minnie and said: "To @readDonaldTrump and his friend Jim, in @LaTour Effel we celebrate the dynamism and spirit of openness of Paris with Mickey and Minnie."

In another tweet, with the hashtag #Donald&Jim, Hidalgo said American tourist reservations are up 30 percent in 2017 so far compared to last year.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault offered his own proof that Americans like not just Paris but all of France: "3.5 million Americans visited France in 2016," he tweeted. "They will always be welcome."

George Clooney used the red carpet to speak up for Paris as he headed into the awards ceremony for this year's Cesar, the French version of the Oscar, where he received a "Cesar d'honneur" for his work.

"Yes, no one wants to go to Paris anymore because it's horrible here, apparently," he said as he entered the theater. "We have some things to work on in the United States," he said, without ever naming Trump. In a veiled illusion to France far-right presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, Clooney added, "I think you guys have some of the same issues here so ... good luck."

Trump hammered France in his speech.

"Take a look at what's happened in France. Take a look at Nice and Paris," the president said in an apparent reference to last year's Bastille Day attack in Nice and the 2015 Paris attacks.

He said Jim used to visit Paris each summer. "It was automatic ... He wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Now he doesn't even think in terms of going there. Take a look at what's happening to our world folks and we have to be smart. We have to be smart. We can't let it happen to us," Trump said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent World stories

Related topics

World
The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast