French President Emmanuel Macron has responded after US President Donald Trump made mocking comments about his marriage.
After days of tensions over US-Israeli strikes on Iran and over NATO, on Wednesday, April 1, Trump made fun of the French president and his wife at a private lunch as he lambasted NATO allies for not joining the war against Iran.
The US president imitated a French accent and said that Macron’s wife “treats him extremely badly” and that Macron was still “recovering from the right to the jaw”.
On a visit to Seoul today, April 2, Macron, who was accompanied by his wife Brigitte, said Trump’s comments were “neither elegant nor up to standard”.
“So I am not going to respond to them — they do not merit a response,” Macron told reporters.
The focus instead should be on “work towards de-escalation” in the Middle East and a ceasefire, Macron said.
“There is too much talk, and it’s all over the place,” the French president said, apparently referring to numerous policy U-turns by Trump.
“We all need stability, calm, a return to peace — this isn’t a show!” Macron said.
Trump’s latest verbal attack against Macron angered French politicians.
“Honestly, it’s not up to par,” said Yael Braun-Pivet, president of France’s lower house of parliament.
“We are currently discussing the future of the world. Right now in Iran, this is having consequences for the lives of millions of people, people are dying on the battlefield, and we have a president who is laughing, who is mocking others,” she told franceinfo.
Even Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the hard-left France Unbowed party who is often critical of the president, rushed to Macron’s defence.
“You are aware of the extent of my disagreements with the president, but for Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner — I find that absolutely unacceptable,” Bompard told broadcaster BFMTV.
Conservative French daily Le Figaro said: “Another controversial outburst from Donald Trump.”
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