WASHINGTON (AP) - A mystery is brewing at the White House about what happened to the oak tree President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron planted there last week.
The sapling was a gift from Macron on the occasion of his state visit.
News photographers snapped away Monday when Trump and Macron shoveled dirt onto the tree during a ceremonial planting on the South Lawn. By the end of the week, the tree was gone from the lawn. A pale patch of grass was left in its place.
The White House hasn't offered an explanation.
The oak sprouted at a World War I battle site that became part of U.S. Marine Corps legend.
About 2,000 U.S. troops died in the June 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood, fighting a German offensive.
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(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster). This Saturday, April 28, 2018, photo shows an empty area where a tree was planted by U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Was...
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster). This Saturday, April 28, 2018, photo shows an empty area where a tree was planted by President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron during a tree planting ceremony is seen through the media van window on the Sout...