Olympic speed skater Jordan Stoltz presents President Trump with gold medal
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jordan Stoltz handed one of his gold medals to President Donald Trump at an event for farmers in Wisconsin.
President Donald Trump never had a chance.
When French President Emmanuel Macron invited President Trump to dinner at the gilded Palace of Versailles, all bets were off.
“I love beautiful places. Versailles is not gilded. Versailles is real,” the president said at the G7 bilateral meeting in Evian, France, on June 16, regarding the change in plans and delay in returning home.
It is truly a place of all things golden.
The real estate tycoon-turned-president is well known for his love of money, filling the Oval Office with oceans of gold. Golden appliqués on the fireplace, gilded mirrors, and 18th- and 19th-century dessert stands and vases in the ornate Rococo style of London and France sit on the mantle. The walls are chockablock, with paintings of former presidents in ornate gold frames.
Most of Trump’s smart gifts take into account his love of shiny metals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented President Trump with a gold pager, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung received a replica of the historic golden Silla Crown, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented President Trump with a 24-carat gold and glass shield, and a delegation of Swiss business leaders, including the CEO of Rolex, presented President Trump with a gold Rolex desk watch and a custom gold bar.
As far as gilded palaces go, Versailles is the gold standard. This palace was France’s main royal residence from 1682 until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. The palace’s iconic gates, carvings, and interior decoration are adorned with more than 1,000 kilograms of 22-carat gold. Perhaps one of the most famous rooms in the palace is the Hall of Mirrors, which features a very ornate baroque mirror gallery. Gold symbolized the absolute power of Louis XIV, known as the “Sun King.”
So on June 16, the president changed his itinerary, delaying his planned return to the United States from France by several hours on June 17, after the G7 meeting.
“The president of France happens to be a very nice guy and he invited me to dinner at Versailles,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about what prompted the change in plans. “That means I get home late in the evening, early in the morning, and I don’t get much sleep anyway.”
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal.
