On Wednesday, April 1, Donald Trump openly mocked Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron during a private lunch. Once again, transatlantic relations are dramatically strained.
During the event, the American president personally criticized the French presidential couple, as reported by AFP and Le Dauphiné Libéré.
Referring to a viral video from last May where Brigitte Macron playfully covered the President’s face with her hands, Donald Trump sarcastically said: “He is still recovering from the right step he took to the jaw.” He then imitated Emmanuel Macron with a French accent, saying: “No, no, no… We cannot do that, Donald. We can do it once the war is won.”
The White House remains unfazed by these jabs, despite tensions running high between the two leaders. The White House’s tenant is not backing down in the face of France’s refusal to deploy military forces in the Gulf or allow overflights of its territory for operations against Iran.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had set the tone last Tuesday, expressing a desire to “reassess” transatlantic ties. This statement directly questions the US’s position within NATO, which Donald Trump has referred to as a “paper tiger” and “coward.”
