so we understand each other. we'll see how that comes out and we could have at least an agreement among ourselves fairly quickly. i think we're fairly close to understanding each other. and i think our meeting, our one-on-one went very, very well. i hope you feel the same way. president macron: definitely. president trump: thank you very much, emmanuel. thank you, everybody. >> thank you, everyone. make your way out. president trump: thank you. >> make your way out. >> thank you. let's go. make your way out. president trump: thank you very much, everybody. thank you. >> let's go, please. >> and on this morning's "washington journal," a "vanity fair" writer joined us during president macron's white house arrival ceremony to talk about his recent profile of the french leader. we'll show you this until the

house reconvenes at about 3:30 eastern. until then, joining us on the tom sancton, writer for "vanity fair" who just put piece looking at the french president and his influences. good morning. good morning. host: thanks for joining us. ould you describe or give a sense of mr. -- president macron and his relationship with it currently p as stands? guest: sure. emmanuel macron is a very young man. he just turned 40. in neverbeen involved electoral politics before. him, led me to intelligent, a very articula articulate, determined, focused leader. and he's actually trying to put ambitious reforms back at home, not without provoking

protest.mount of his relationship with president trump is very interesting, i you could call it a friendship, but excellent personal rapport. goes back, cutrace it back to macron's invitation last july to attend the ump to vestile day.de on bysident trump was flattered this attention from european leader, particularly at a time ost european leaders were looking at trump with i would macron icious eyes and realized if he would reach out o trump, he could establish personal rapport, because lot into trump puts a personal relationships. macron his succeeded in winning confidence and certain friendship with president trump. don't agree on many

ssues, but personal rapport is allowing macron at least an opening to try to convince to change his positions on certain number of the iran rticularly nuclear deal. host: the piece that -- go sorry. i'm go ahead. guest: also the steel, putting tax, macron minum would like to see exemption for the european countries. you wrote in the piece about how the president macron handshake of president trump, i imagine that would apply to the visit, come and give context. uest: well, you know, when resident trump first elected the foreign leaders, it was quite clear he had this trick, handshake, he would hand and pump and jerk the f his -- and macron was made

aw aaware of this by his ambassador and macronied videos practiced his handshake on consisted of vice-like grip and refusal to et his arm be jerked by president trump. when they did meet in brussels last may for the first time, the videos of the handshake went viral because the young french his own and it actually succeeded in making handshake k off the first. then probably a painful handshake at that, it looked white-knuckleer. host: how did the people of here perceive this visit in the united states with our president? presidentl, you know, acron is now facing a lot of criticism and protests at home,

quo, his up the status popularity ratings are not much now.r than trump's right so i think there is a sense that the french president has a certain amount of influence on resident trump and that he may be able to win certain theessions that would be to advantage of the french, particularly -- got you. -- stay on the phone with us, we'll atch a little bit of the proceedings as they take place, we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ host: the events at the white

house, president trump and many vice including the president, visiting with the french president emmanuel macron. "vanity fair," wrote a piece about the french piece, joining us. before we got interrupted, we talking about the similarities about mr. trump and president. go ahead and continue that thought. electedes, both of them on their first attempt, macron electoral ious experience, trump of course did not. they are both outsiders, in an way, both products of the same phenomena, populist quo and of the status traditional parties in their respective countries. in the u.s., that rejection ave us president trump, who's politically very different from president macron. and france, you had rejection of the traditional parties, which young e leadership to a man who had, as i say, never run

been briefly ore, finance minister, but he was rained, he has a degree in philosophy, got a degree in public administration, his first job is an investment banker. both outsiders from the private and they both, macron stressed this in our interview, hey are both trying very hard to carry out the campaign romises that they were elected on and of course the promises themselves are very different. but, i think there is a sense that host: tom sancton of "vanity fair" joining us on the phone. do you get a sense for the president's willingness to press issues, particularly as he'll meet with our president issues like the iran nuclear deal, which you entioned and other topics, as

well? guest: yes, i would say the iran uclear deal is foremost on his agenda and the reason being, deadline for 2th president trump to decide and announce whether or not he's the deal and france thinks this would be a move.bad and he's also joined in that opinion by his fellow europeans, merkle. g nother issue, steel and aluminum tariff president trump threatened to impose on importers. the european oint of view to obtain tariffs if they are imposed. presidency macron said in a t.v. interview a couple days ago, you don't launch a trade war against and it is very

important that the u.s. and of course allies in macron's view, close allies last 250 been for the years. that is going to be an important agenda item. and of course, the climate, climate that president trump that is an f, personality issue for macron and he will try to encourage the the fold to return to on the issue of climate control. host: because you interviewed im, do you sense him as a forthcoming negotiator, a charmer when he makes his points? is his style? guest: both. he's forceful, determined and he of charm.a lot i think the charm is certainly substance, he's, one of the remarkable things about him, his determination to programs and his his policies and i mentioned policies is reform

have triggered a certain amount, resistance at ho home, but unlike french to back ts who tend he wantsopular unrest, to continue with these reforms through.ly carry them a challenge because in the tran transport and aviation area, hurt the country. he's facing a big challenge at home. a determined is practicingmatist, very results-oriented and i think he will follow through reforms.se host: give us a sense of write nt macron, as you about, deep in the world of culture. if you could tell us how that the influence he bringsbrings

on how he manages his presidency? guest: culture is very important to him personally. he calls it, he even used the word obsession, his private obsession. educated, has advanced degree in philosophy. one thipg he's done along with wife is to bring french the rks into the palace, presidential palace. hey brought modern artworks by artists like picasso and deberse, into the presidential palace. i think that is important for as showcase for french culture, for french art, but his policies, f one thing he's trying to do is reak down the barriers that prevent, as he sees it, prevents some communities, some sectors the french public from having access to the french cultural admired which is

around the world. he's trying to get more access people, like in more underprivileged areas, get more culture, with a culture"c," and musical coming from different, not just music, but culture from of the world.s france is a big melting pot of lots of heritage, different communities in france and i think president macron is cultural bring all the heritage of the different tent ities under the big of french culture. ulture is a big deal for president macron. brigitte, tell us about her. guest: that's an interesting story. macron was his theater teacher in high school. him.s 24 years older than while he was her student, they developed a very close relationship that over the years

developed into a romance and she family, her eft her husband and three children and macron i think about 10 years ago. as i say, 24 years older than him. interestingly, melania is 24 younger than president trump. that 24-year age gap is another thing the two presidents have in common. thing i should say about brigitte macron, she, too, is interested in the cultural rea and been to some extent a curator in this effort to bring works intoive french the palace. host: tom sancton wrote a piece, profiling the ce french president, the issue of "vanity fair." want to read vanityfair.com, is the website to go to. thank you for

>> and our coverage of president macron's visit, including the arrival ceremony and today's news conference are all available online at c-span.org. the u.s. house shortly will come in, officially begin their day and work on an iran sanctions bill, another regarding aid to syria and one on space commerce. we expect votes to take place around 6:30 eastern today. tomorrow the french president will be addressing a joint meeting of congress. we will have live coverage of that here on c-span starting at 10:30 a.m. eastern. and then tomorrow or thursday, the house is expected to consider a five-year re-authorization for the federal aviation administration. live coverage, of course, of the house here on c-span. while we wait for the house to come in, a discussion on the arizona special election from this morning's "washington journal." conclude therwise, according to the court. special election taking place today in add, it is the eighth election today in that state. joining us on the phone for a

about who iso talk in it at ronald hampton with rizona republic, congressional reporter. good morning. guest: good morning. host: could you set the stage to us when it comes candidates involved in this race? guest: sure. o this is the special election to replace trent franks, the congressman who resigned in after being linked to office.misconduct in he was said to have offered be a surrogate mother of his child. the republican in the race who has his pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20rk the >> and we'll leave this here for live coverage of the house. or votes obt to under clause 6 -- objected to under clause 6 of rule 206789 the house will resume proceedings on post pobed questions at a later time -- postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. poe: