United States President Donald Trump once again commanded attention at the G7 summit in France after jokingly declaring himself “the boss” as leaders gathered for the final day of discussions.
The remark came on Wednesday morning as Trump arrived for a session chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, the host of this year’s summit. With other leaders already seated, Trump walked into the meeting room and quipped, “I’m the boss,” drawing laughter from those present.
Macron appeared to take the comment in stride, greeting the American president warmly before the meeting got underway.
The light-hearted exchange capped another high-profile appearance by Trump, whose presence has loomed large over the three-day gathering of the world’s leading industrialised nations in the French resort town of Evian on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The summit comes at a politically significant moment for the US president, who recently announced an agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Iran and has also been celebrating his 80th birthday.
Diplomatic observers noted that Trump’s participation throughout the summit marked a contrast with previous G7 meetings. At the last summit in Canada, he departed before the event concluded and declined to endorse the final communique.
This time, however, the US president remained for the duration of the summit and signed the joint statement issued by the group, a development likely to be welcomed by French officials seeking consensus among member nations.
As the summit drew to a close, Macron was scheduled to host Trump for a private dinner at the historic Palace of Versailles outside Paris, underscoring the importance France attaches to its relationship with Washington.
The French leader, however, moved to temper expectations surrounding the event, stressing that the gathering should not be viewed as a lavish state occasion.
Despite the focus on issues ranging from global security to economic cooperation, it was Trump’s trademark confidence and unscripted style that once again provided one of the most memorable moments of the summit.