Obama, Hollande tour Jefferson estate, talk up an ‘alliance transformed’


President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande celebrated the long-standing ties between their nations by touring the sweeping Virginia estate owned by Thomas Jefferson, the former American president and famed Francophile.

Obama’s rare out-of-town trip with a foreign leader Monday opened two days of events marking Hollande’s state visit to the United States.


For Hollande, the trip to Washington was a chance to get an ocean away from his romantic troubles. The French president is travelling in the U.S. without a female companion, following his very public split with longtime partner Valerie Trierweiler.


Nevertheless, Hollande received a warm welcome reserved only for America’s closest allies.

The trip to Monticello was aimed at highlighting the countries’ deep ties. Jefferson was an early U.S. envoy to France and is honored with a statue on Paris’ Seine River. Monday marked the first time a sitting president has visited Monticello with a current foreign head of state.



Obama also acknowledged that the house and its slave quarters represent “the complicated history of the United States.”

“It’s a reminder for both of us that we are going to continue to fight on behalf of the rights of all peoples, something I know France has always been committed to, and we are committed to as well,” Obama said.

Hollande is visiting Obama at a time of particularly strong relations between their nations. Their talks are expected to focus on areas where U.S.-French priorities are visibly in sync, such as in efforts to resolve nuclear concerns in Iran, a civil war in Syria and extremism in Africa. The leaders will also seek to highlight mutual interests such as combating climate change and securing a trade deal between the U.S. and Europe.

