US President Donald Trump mocked French President Emmanuel Macron and took a personal swipe at his wife, Brigitte Macron, as he criticised NATO allies for what he described as their reluctance to support
the United States in the ongoing war against Iran.
“I call up France, Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump said during a private lunch, in remarks captured in a video briefly posted on the White House YouTube channel before access was blocked.
Trump’s comment referenced a May 2025 video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing the French president’s face during a visit to Vietnam, footage Macron later dismissed as part of a disinformation campaign.
Trump claimed he personally requested French military assistance during the conflict in the Gulf but said Paris declined to immediately participate.
“We didn’t need them, but I asked anyway,” Trump said, describing his outreach to France despite asserting that US forces were already achieving battlefield success.
“And I said, ‘Emmanuel, we’d love to have some help in the Gulf even though we’re setting records on knocking out bad people and knocking out ballistic missiles. We’d love to have some help. If you could, could you please send ships immediately,’” Trump said.
He went on to mimic Macron’s alleged reply in a French accent: “‘No no no, we cannot do that, Donald. We can do that after the war is won.’”
Trump said he rejected that position, responding: “‘No, no, I don’t need after the war is won, Emmanuel.’”
He used the anecdote to question NATO’s reliability in major conflicts.
“So I learned about NATO. NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one, you know what I mean by the big one,” Trump said, later branding the alliance a “paper tiger.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also suggested Washington may reassess its relationship with NATO after the Iran war concludes, reinforcing the administration’s criticism of allied burden-sharing.
MACRON DEFENDS EUROPE’S POSITION
Separately, Macron appeared to respond indirectly to Trump’s remarks during a visit to Japan, where he emphasised Europe’s consistency and adherence to international norms.
“Predictability has value,” Macron said in Tokyo, stressing that Europe’s steady approach remains important during periods of geopolitical instability.
Without naming Trump directly, Macron criticised countries that move faster than their partners but whose decisions may unexpectedly harm allies.
France has maintained that it was neither consulted nor involved in the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
“It is absolutely true that France, which has not been consulted and is not part of this military offensive launched by the United States and Israel, is not taking part in it,” Macron said in an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK, reiterating Paris’s stance since the start of the war.
ENERGY SECURITY, STRAIT OF HORMUZ IN FOCUS
Macron also highlighted concerns about global energy stability amid tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil shipments.
During meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, both leaders underscored the importance of maintaining the free flow of goods through the strategic maritime corridor as the conflict continues to impact global energy markets.
The remarks illustrate widening differences between Washington and European allies as the Iran war tests the cohesion of the transatlantic alliance and raises questions over NATO’s future role in major global conflicts.
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