A rare bipartisan interaction stole the spotlight during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, as President-elect Donald Trump and outgoing First Lady Jill Biden shared a warm exchange. The moment, captured on camera, has since gone viral, delighting Trump supporters and igniting a wave of speculation online.
During Saturday’s ceremony, Jill Biden and Donald Trump were seated near each other, separated only by French First Lady Brigitte Macron.
As they waited for her to take her seat, cameras caught the two engaged in what appeared to be a friendly conversation.
While the contents of their exchange remain unknown, social media users speculated that Jill Biden, despite her husband’s long-standing rivalry with Trump, may have softened towards the President-elect.
Speculation intensifies over Jill Biden’s perceived support
Rumours about Jill Biden’s stance toward Trump have circulated since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race in July. MAGA supporters highlighted moments like President Biden wearing a Trump hat during an event with firefighters last September and Jill Biden sporting a bold red outfit on Election Day as signs of their alleged covert support for Trump.
Adding fuel to the fire, Joe Biden appeared uncharacteristically cheerful when acknowledging Trump’s victory after the November election, further feeding online theories that the Bidens may not have fully backed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Netizens react
Jill Biden, meanwhile, was on her final foreign trip as First Lady, joined by her daughter Ashley Biden. Social media exploded with commentary on the viral images of Jill and Trump, with users joking about their apparent camaraderie.
One user wrote, “Looks like they’re having a good time.”
Another quipped, “They totally voted for him🤣”
Netizens also used sarcasm about Jill’s wearing the red dress on Election Day. “… yeah, so that red suit I wore wasn’t an accident…”, wrote one user.
“Jill and Ashley Biden look like they’re absolutely in love with President Trump 🤣”, wrote a user.
Meanwhile, one commented, “Find someone who looks at you the way Jill Biden looks at Trump.”
The Notre Dame reopening marked Trump’s first overseas visit since his November 5 election victory. While in Paris, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the UK’s Prince William.
Elon Musk, his close ally and billionaire entrepreneur, was also accompanying him.