Trump weathers Armistice Day barbs

Close to 70 world leaders gathered in Paris Sunday to commemorate Armistice Day and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Germany’s agreement to cease fighting against the forces of the British Empire, France, Russia, and the United States took effect at 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918. French President Emmanuel Macron, host of the event, used the occasion to warn about the dangers of nationalism. Macron called nationalism a “betrayal of patriotism,” adding, “The old demons are rising again, ready to complete their task of chaos and of death.” Some saw the speech as a swipe against U.S. President Donald Trump, but Trump did not visibly react to the remarks and later described the commemoration as “very beautiful.”

Trump drew criticism for skipping a rain-plagued memorial event Saturday in Belleau, about 55 miles outside Paris. The White House said inclement weather grounded the president’s helicopter, and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said he elected not to drive because his motorcade would have disrupted traffic in Paris for hours. A delegation of senior U.S. officials, including White House chief of staff John Kelly, attended in his stead. A day later, Trump spoke at another rain-soaked ceremony at an American cemetery in Suresnes, France. The cemetery contains the remains of more than 1,500 Americans who died in World War I, as well as 24 unknown soldiers who died in World War II.