The choreography was unusual: President Emmanuel Macron of France, standing before the Stars and Stripes, declaring in English that "We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy.”
And so the presidency of Donald Trump draws to a close with a French leader obliged to declare his faith in the resilience of American democracy, a remarkable development. Macron’s wider point was clear enough: The mob of Trump loyalists in Washington attempting to disrupt the peaceful transition of American power also posed a threat to all democracies.
The reputation of the United States may be tarnished, but its identification with the global defense of democracy remains singular. So, when an angry horde, incited by Trump himself, was seen taking over the U.S. Capitol, defiling its sacred chambers with swaggering contempt as lawmakers gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the fragility of freedom felt palpable in Paris and across the world.