Apr 3, 2:42 PM
Macron Slams Trump's Marriage Comments as 'Not Up to Standard'
The French president expressed displeasure after his US counterpart mocked him and his wife during a private lunch in Washington.
French President Emmanuel Macron has criticized Donald Trump's comments about his marriage as neither elegant nor up to standard, following a private lunch in Washington where the US president mocked his French counterpart and his wife.
Arriving in South Korea on Thursday, Macron made clear his displeasure at Trump's comments, which appeared briefly in a video on the White House YouTube channel before being removed. He told reporters he would not respond to the remarks, saying they did not merit a response.
There was anger in France after Trump appeared to make fun of Macron and his wife during the lunch on Wednesday, which was attended by faith leaders and government figures in Washington. Trump used the occasion to lambast NATO allies for not joining the war against Iran.
Mimicking a French accent, Trump said Macron's wife, Brigitte, treats him extremely badly. Speaking about approaching France for help on Iran, Trump said the US did not need them, but he asked anyway. He added that he calls up France and Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly, and said Macron was still recovering from the right to the jaw.
Trump appeared to be referring to a May 2025 video that showed Brigitte Macron pushing her husband's face as they prepared to disembark from a plane on an official visit to Vietnam. The video, shot by an Associated Press camera operator, showed Macron appearing in the doorway of the plane at the start of a visit to Hanoi. His wife's hand appeared to shove him, causing him to step back before he recovered and waved. At the time, Macron denied any domestic dispute with his wife, saying they were joking as they often do.
At the lunch, Trump continued that he had asked Macron for help in the Gulf, even though the US was setting records on knocking out bad people and ballistic missiles. He then appeared to attempt a French accent to give Macron's alleged answer, saying no, no, no, we cannot do that, Donald. Trump said he responded that he did not need help after the war was won. He added that he had learned that NATO would not be there if the US ever faced a major conflict.
Politicians in France expressed outrage at Trump's comments. The centrist president of France's lower house of parliament said it was not up to par, noting that discussions are currently about the future of the world, with consequences for millions of lives in Iran and people dying on the battlefield, while a US president laughs and mocks others.
The national coordinator of the radical left party La France Insoumise defended Macron, saying that despite his profound disagreements with the president, Trump speaking to him that way and speaking of his wife in such a manner was absolutely unacceptable.
The conservative French daily Le Figaro described the incident as another controversial outburst from Donald Trump.
Written by Christiane Hofreiter
