The days of handshakes seem long gone. Donald Trump once again took aim at Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday, April 1st. During a private dinner, the American president mentioned the French presidential couple. “Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly… He’s still recovering from the punch he took to the jaw,” declared the American president in a video briefly posted on the White House’s YouTube channel which was then closed to access.
Donald Trump was apparently referring to a viral clip from May showing Brigitte Macron putting both hands on the face of the French president – “a moment of complicity,” said the Élysée at the time.
The American president also claimed to have asked the French head of state for military support in the Gulf. “I said: ‘Emmanuel, we would like some help in the Gulf, even though we are breaking records in terms of eliminating the wicked and destroying ballistic missiles,'” he recounted. Faithful to himself, Donald Trump then mimicked Emmanuel Macron and his French accent. “‘No, no, no… We can’t do that, Donald. We can do it once the war is won.'”
Beyond this single sequence, this statement is part of a series of jabs and reprimands directed by the American president towards his French counterpart. Because Emmanuel Macron is in the crosshairs of Donald Trump, who reproaches him, among other things, for not allowing overflight of French territory in the context of the war against Iran, triggered on February 28. A military operation as desired by the United States to “liberate” by force the strategic Strait of Hormuz, locked by Iran since the start of the war in the Middle East, would be “unrealistic,” “would take an infinite amount of time,” and would involve “lots of risks,” Emmanuel Macron responded on Thursday.
Mockeries that feed on a “very strong” anti-French sentiment [Context].
The article talks about the escalating tensions between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, with the American president making mocking comments about the French president and his wife. This behavior is seen as part of Trump’s strategy to appear strong and powerful [Fact Check].
