PARIS — For dinner on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron chose to dine with President Trump at Le Jules Verne, an opulent restaurant nestled in the Eiffel Tower that has earned a Michelin star yet still carries the reputation of being an overpriced tourist destination.

The extravagant meal capped off a day filled with frequent backslaps, handshakes, toothy smiles, knee pats, photo ops and a shared determination to find common ground.

Up until now, the relationship between these two world leaders has been largely defined by their stark differences — Trump vs. the international anti-Trump — and a defining moment occurred in May when the boyish 39-year-old French centrist fought for dominance in a white-knuckle handshake with the red-faced 70-year-old U.S. president in front of reporters and cameras. (Trump has since had a birthday.)

But as their presidencies slowly age, it is becoming clear the two leaders have a lot in common.

Both are political outsiders holding their first elective positions and relish having defied their countries’ main political parties, and they maintain contentious relationships with the media. Both have pledged to dramatically shake up the establishment and rid their capitals of power players and bureaucrats who have long wielded influence.

 

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

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