A tree planted by Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron as a symbol of their countries’ ties has died, according to multiple media reports in France.
ADVERTISEMENTFrench media are reporting that a tree planted by Presidents Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron at the White House as a symbol of their countries’ ties has died.
The oak was given as a gift to the US president during Macron’s visit in 2018.
Relations between the two leaders have not been so warm since, with the two leaders branching out in separate directions on various issues.
And now it seems the tree may not have have fared so well either.
Several French newspapers including Le Monde and Le Figaro have reported the disappearance of the tree, quoting diplomatic sources.
The world watched as the tree was planted in the presence of the two presidents and their wives in 2018. It was a symbolic moment for the two nations.
The tree had been sourced from Belleau Wood, near Paris, where almost 2,000 Americans died in a battle in June 1918 during the First World War.
But a few days later the tree was removed and placed in quarantine according to mandatory procedure for importing living organisms into the United States.
The tree never reappeared. A diplomatic source told the news agency Agence France Presse that it had died during quarantine.