The Reagan effect on wine lists

Let us indulge in a slight paraphrase. What rough beast slouches towards the White House to be reborn? The inauguration ceremonies remind us that many Americans still hanker after monarchical splendour. Even as contentious a figure as Donald Trump is accorded the dignities appropriate to a head of state. The same of course is true of M. Macron, who carries them off better. The dignified portion of the constitution, or the efficient one? It could easily be argued that President Trump is better in the latter role. In his early phase, President Macron wanted us to see him as a Napoleonic figure. Indeed. Napoleon le Petit.

If a bottle was old enough to drink, restaurants might even apologise and offer a discount

When the Trumpians hit town four years ago, comparisons were drawn. The general view was that Washington had seen nothing like it since Andrew Jackson, as the era of the Virginia squires ended, replaced by the rule of the roughnecks who bunked together in cheap lodging houses and were never far from a spittoon. Thomas Jefferson’s claret gave way to the crude corn liquor of the frontier.

Mr Trump’s festivities may be the most expensive celebrations of all time, though there could have been an earlier rival. In 1971, the Shah gave a party in Persepolis to celebrate 2,500 years of Persian history and proclaim his own imperial grandeur. It was said that the world ran out of caviar. Only one item was lacking: Daniel, to translate Mene, Mene, Tekel, Uparsin. But the American system is more stable than the Shah’s was… surely.