Credit: Shealah Craighead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
US President Donald Trump has stirred fresh controversy after making disparaging remarks about French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife during a private meeting, while also criticising NATO allies.
In comments reportedly made during a closed-door lunch on Wednesday, April 1, Trump mocked Macron and suggested that France had been reluctant to support US military efforts related to tensions involving Iran.
“We didn’t need them, but I asked anyway,” Trump said, according to excerpts from the remarks.
He went further to make a personal jab, alleging that Macron’s wife, Brigitte Macron, treats him poorly—an apparent reference to a viral clip from May 2025. The footage, which circulated widely online, appeared to show Brigitte pushing Macron’s face during a visit to Vietnam, though the French president later dismissed it as part of a misinformation campaign.
Presidencia de la República Mexicana, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, vía Wikimedia Commons
Continuing his remarks, Trump claimed he had directly appealed to Macron for military support in the Gulf, requesting that France deploy naval assistance.
Imitating a French accent, he recounted Macron’s supposed response declining immediate involvement and suggesting support could come after hostilities had ended.
“I said, ‘No, I don’t need help after the war is won,’” Trump added, portraying frustration with what he described as a lack of urgency from allies.
The US president used the moment to question the reliability of the alliance, warning that NATO might not be dependable in the event of a major global conflict—referred to vaguely as “the big one.”
He also described NATO as a “paper tiger,” intensifying his long-running criticism of the transatlantic military bloc.
The remarks were briefly made public via a video uploaded to the White House YouTube channel before access was later restricted.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier indicated that Washington may reassess its relationship with NATO after ongoing tensions linked to the Iran situation are resolved.
The comments have since drawn attention globally, with analysts warning that such rhetoric could further strain diplomatic ties between the United States and its European allies.
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