Trump Mentions Macron After Leaving G7 Early
"Ceasefire Talks with Iran? Macron Is Always Wrong"
Macron: "Trump's Mockery Doesn't Really Bother Me"
US President Donald Trump, who stormed out of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, publicly mocked French President Emmanuel Macron on social media. However, Macron himself appeared to be unfazed, drawing attention.
According to Yonhap News, on the 17th (local time), President Trump wrote on his social media account, "President Macron, who wants attention, wrongly claimed that I left the G7 and returned to Washington, D.C. to discuss a 'ceasefire' between Israel and Iran. Wrong!" He added, "He has no idea why I am heading to Washington," and further criticized, "Whether intentional or not, Emmanuel is always wrong."
That evening, when President Macron met with reporters, he referred to Trump's remarks as "an episode." Macron said, "I know who he is well, and since we have had a long relationship, (his comments) do not provoke me," adding, "This is not the first time, and it will not be the last." The French presidential office, the Elysee Palace, also did not issue any particular statement.
As Macron noted, Trump provoking him is nothing new. After Macron took office in 2017, Trump was invited to the French National Day military parade. A few days later, in an interview with The New York Times (NYT), Trump praised Macron as "a great, smart, and strong person," but also added, "People don't know that he likes to hold my hand. I think he will be a great president for France, but he really likes to hold my hand."
Trump also mocked Macron in April 2023 after the French president visited China and met with President Xi Jinping, saying, "My friend Macron finished his trip to China by kissing his (Xi's) ass." In January last year, at a rally in Iowa, Trump imitated Macron's French accent while recounting a past conversation between them, and in October of the same year, on a podcast, he referred to Macron as "someone who will rob you if you're not careful."
Loric Ennethon, associate professor at Versailles University and a U.S. affairs expert, told the French daily Le Figaro, "President Trump has continued to put on a one-man show and has shown a strong desire to mock others," adding, "Like many others, he tends to repeat jokes if they get a reaction."
Regarding Macron, Ennethon said, "Unlike leaders such as Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, and Ursula von der Leyen, who do not display narcissism, Macron likes to put himself forward and has a flamboyant side." He added, "He cannot fall out with President Trump. If that happens, even European partner countries could get entangled. That is why he often finds himself having to set aside his pride."
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