Macron deploys Versailles’ gold, mirrors and history in a high-stakes courtship of Trump

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PARIS — Donald Trump explained the appeal in one sentence: “Versailles is not gold leaf — Versailles is the real deal.” For Emmanuel Macron, that was precisely the point. On Wednesday night, the French president threw open Louis XIV’s palace to his U.S. counterpart for a private reception, show and dinner marking America’s 250th birthday. At a turbulent moment for the trans-Atlantic alliance, it could help Macron keep a personal channel open as the two navigate differences over Iran, Ukraine and tariffs. It already kept Trump from leaving a Group of Seven summit early, as he did last year in…

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