‘Friendship Tree’ Planted By Trump And French President May Be Dead

A tree planted by President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron may have died, according to speculation in the French press. The tree was planted by the presidents in the grounds of the White House in 2018 but hasn’t been seen since.

The tree was removed and placed in quarantine – a standard practice for any plant given to the US president. It has not re-appeared since and recent reports in French newspapers suggest that the tree is gone for good. One diplomatic source said the tree had died in quarantine.

The news is potentially embarrassing for the Trump administration since the tree was supposed to symbolize the friendship between the two countries. The tree itself was from a wood near Paris where around 2,000 Americans died in battle during World War I, giving the tree added symbolism.

It’s unlikely the administration will make any statement on the disappearance of the friendship tree, but it is the kind of story that might rile up President Trump. He is famously thin-skinned when faced with even mild criticism, and a loss of this kind fits that pattern.

However, the French government may not want to make a big deal of the disappearing tree. Relations between Trump and Macron are strained at the moment and a diplomatic spat about a tree wouldn’t help matters.