US President Donald Trump ridiculed French leader Emmanuel Macron’s personal life and commitment to NATO during a private lunch, questioning the alliance’s reliability.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump publicly mocked French President Emmanuel Macron during a private lunch.
He claimed Macron’s wife treats him “extremely badly,” referencing a discredited 2025 video.
Trump also criticised NATO allies for not joining the US-led war against Iran in the Gulf. He recounted asking Macron for immediate naval support in a mocking tone.
“I call up France, Macron — whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump said in a video briefly posted online.
He then imitated a French accent to give Macron’s alleged refusal. Trump concluded that NATO would not be there for “the big one,” branding the alliance a “paper tiger.”
The comments follow Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating the US would “reexamine” its NATO relationship post-war. Trump’s remarks further strain transatlantic ties already tense over burden-sharing.