President Trump lamented the massive fire Monday at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France, calling it “a terrible sight to behold.”
“It’s burning at a level that you rarely see a fire burning,” Mr. Trump said, adding that he has visited the iconic Medieval church that appears to be a near-total loss.
The president said there’s “no cathedral in the world like it,” calling it “a part of our culture.”
“It’s a part of our lives,” he said in Minnesota, where he was holding an event on the economy. “That puts a damper on what we are about to say.”
He called Notre Dame “greater than almost any museum in the world.”
First lady Melania Trump said on Twitter, “My heart breaks for the people of Paris after seeing the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Praying for everyone’s safety.”
The president apparently watched some of the TV coverage of the fire aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Minnesota. As the fire raged, the president tweeted, “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!”
France’s Securite Civile agency tweeted later, “Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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