President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend a state dinner at the Palace of Versailles. The event is scheduled for Wednesday and serves as a highlight of France's celebration of the United States' 250th anniversary. The dinner will take place alongside the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, where diplomatic discussions are currently underway.

Macron's office confirmed the event, describing Versailles as "a historic symbol of Franco-American friendship." Trump acknowledged the invitation on Tuesday, expressing his enthusiasm for the venue. "Versailles is not a gold leaf. Versailles is the real deal," Trump told reporters, adding that he is "a fan of beautiful places."

The President noted that the late dinner would not impact his work schedule, stating he does not sleep much and would continue to operate from the Oval Office without losing time. The summit agenda includes critical topics such as Ukraine's defense needs and a tentative agreement to extend a U.S.-Iran ceasefire to ease tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.

In addition to the dinner with Macron, Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the summit. The gathering of world leaders comes amid ongoing trade tensions, as Trump recently threatened to impose 100% tariffs on French wine and champagne unless Paris drops its 3% digital tax on U.S. technology companies.

Key Summit Engagements

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized an 'insanely rigged economy' on Tuesday, highlighting a stark contrast between soaring billionaire fortunes and the financial struggles of average Americans. His remarks followed a single-day surge in wealth for top technology executives, including Tesla Inc. and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Sanders argued that the rapid accumulation of wealth among a select few underscores deep economic inequality in the United States.

In a post on X, Sanders noted that seven of the world's richest individuals became $210 billion richer in less than 24 hours. He contrasted this with the difficulties faced by tens of millions of families struggling to pay for rent, food, healthcare, childcare, and gas. The senator specifically named Musk, Alphabet Inc. co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Amazon.com, Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle Corp co-founder Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, and Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He stated that their combined fortunes have risen by more than $1.5 trillion since President Donald Trump's election victory in November 2024.

Warren Pushes for Wealth Tax

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) echoed Sanders' concerns, renewing her support for a wealth tax aimed at the ultra-rich. In a statement on X, Warren argued that the economic system is rigged to allow one individual to become a trillionaire while millions of Americans cannot afford medical care. She asserted that a wealth tax is necessary to 'level the playing field' as wealth continues to flow disproportionately to the richest Americans.

Khanna Highlights Healthcare Gap

Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) shifted the focus to the issue of values, stating that the primary concern is not Musk's wealth itself but the nation's failure to provide healthcare for all citizens despite generating unprecedented wealth. Khanna called for 'a New Deal for our time' to address these systemic issues.

California Billionaire Tax Faces Hurdles

The political debate occurs alongside developments in California, where a proposed ballot measure to impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires' net worth faces challenges. The tax, intended to fund healthcare programs, saw its odds of reaching the November ballot drop sharply on prediction market Kalshi. Reports indicate that Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Mass.) is working to prevent the measure from appearing on the ballot.