AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Rebels in Syria have taken the capital of Damascus. We'll have more on that in just a moment. Last night in Paris, a meeting between two presidents and a president-elect.
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PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: Merci beaucoup. Thank you so much.
DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much.
MACRON: Thank you.
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you very much.
RASCOE: French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President-elect Donald Trump stood for photos before speaking privately. Trump was in Paris for the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Before he left the U.S., he sat down with Kristen Welker of NBC's "Meet The Press" to discuss, among other topics, his embattled pick for secretary of defense.
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KRISTEN WELKER: Do you still have confidence in Pete Hegseth?
TRUMP: Yes, I do. I really do. He's a very smart guy. I've known him through Fox, but I've known him for a long time.
RASCOE: And that's where we start. Joining me now is NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Hi, Franco.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Hey, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So that interview airs today, but a few clips were released soon after it taped, including one in which Trump said, quote, "It looks like Pete is doing well." But is that really the case?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it's been interesting. I mean, Hegseth has been dogged by so many allegations - sexual assault allegations, allegations about drinking problems. I mean, Hegseth has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, trying to shore up support with senators. I mean, he told them that he's stopped drinking and that he promised to not drink if he's confirmed. And when Kristen Welker asked Trump, who does not drink, in part because of his late brother's alcoholism, if he was concerned about Hegseth's drinking, here's what he said.
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TRUMP: But I've spoken to people that know him very well, and they say he does not have a drinking problem.
ORDOÑEZ: Now, the president-elect says he's assured, but whether that's enough for senators, I mean, we'll see.
RASCOE: OK. And Hegseth has denied the sexual assault allegations and the excessive drinking allegations. So last night, as we mentioned, Trump was in Paris at the reopening of Notre Dame. What's the significance of that trip, Franco?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it is a big deal. I mean, this is his first trip abroad since the election. And in some ways, it's a bit of deja vu. I mean, during Trump's first term in office, Macron was well known for wooing Trump and being skilled at using flattery to make inroads with Trump - I mean, the original bromance, remember. There was that 30-second handshake that was such a make-or-break moment. Macron actually was Trump's first guest for a state dinner. And this is a big moment in Europe, as well. I mean, Macron and the other European leaders are working to hard to persuade Trump to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine in its fight for - against Russia, hence the meeting with Zelenskyy.
RASCOE: I remember some of those trips. I was in Paris at least twice with Trump. But Trump is not officially president now until January 20, and yet it kind of feels like there's a shadow White House. Like, what's going on here?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. It does feel a bit like that. I mean, Trump posts about tariffs, and suddenly, the leaders of Canada and Mexico are making visits and phone calls, trying to stop a trade war. And last week, Trump warned there would be a, quote, "all hell to pay" in the Middle East if Hamas doesn't release the hostages that have been held since October of last year. I mean, President Biden had a big trip - kind of a historic trip - to Africa this week that barely broke headlines. I mean, so much of the attention is on Trump.
RASCOE: And Trump's incoming administration seems like it's not wasting time. You know, we're getting all these Cabinet picks and names to lead agencies. It's a degree of organization that wasn't there eight years ago. What do you make of this?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I mean, he's been in this position before, and experience is really a great teacher. I mean, he and his team know that a president only has so much time to get things done. And the best chance to do that is early. I mean, Trump had a rough start the last time around. So the team is doing as much as they can to kind of hit the ground running.
RASCOE: That's NPR's White House correspondent - or NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Thank you so much.
ORDOÑEZ: Thanks, Ayesha. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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