It is a remark that will not improve the currently tense relationship between the Elysée and the White House. During a private lunch on Wednesday, Donald Trump targeted Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron as the American president continued to criticize NATO leaders for not participating in the war against Iran.
A video posted on YouTube by the White House
“Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly… he’s still recovering from the punch he took to the jaw,” declared Donald Trump in a video briefly posted on the White House’s YouTube channel, which was later taken down.
The American president was apparently referring to a viral video from last May showing Brigitte Macron bringing her hands to the face of the French president in what appeared to be a small punch.
Donald Trump also claimed to have asked the French president for military support in the Gulf: “I said, ‘Emmanuel, we would like a little help in the Gulf, even if we are setting records in terms of eliminating villains and destroying ballistic missiles.’ Then, imitating his counterpart with a French accent: ‘No, no, no… we can’t do that, Donald. We can do it once the war is won.'”
Standoff over the war in Iran
Emmanuel Macron is in the crosshairs of Donald Trump, who accuses him of not allowing the French territory to be used in the war against Iran, which started on February 28th. In general, the American president has been making bellicose statements towards NATO this week, referring to it on his Truth Social network as a “PAPER TIGER” and “COWARD.” “The United States will remember this,” he declared at a cabinet meeting.
On Tuesday, American Secretary of State Marco Rubio called into question the transatlantic relationship with NATO like never before, stating that the United States should “reexamine” its relationship with the military alliance once the war against Iran is over.
