US President Donald Trump on Tuesday mocked French President Emmanuel Macron while recounting how he claims to have forced France and other countries to sharply increase prescription drug prices by threatening
punitive trade tariffs.
Speaking to Republican lawmakers, Trump delivered a dramatic retelling of his conversations with foreign leaders, singling out Macron and imitating him.
According to Trump, the French President initially resisted US demands to raise drug prices but ultimately gave in under pressure.
“Emmanuel said to me, ‘Donald, you have a deal. I would love to increase my prescription drug prices by 200 per cent or whatever. I would love to do it. It would be such an honour,’” Trump said, mimicking Macron’s voice.
He added that Macron supposedly pleaded for discretion, saying, “Whatever you want, Donald, please don’t tell the population. Please, Donald, I beg you.”
Trump said France was not alone in rejecting his proposal at first.
“Every country said the same thing. No, no, no, we will not do this,” he told lawmakers.
He added that responses varied in tone.
“Some were strong. Some were very nice. Some were rude. But they all said one thing. No, we won’t.”
However, Trump claimed resistance quickly evaporated once trade penalties were mentioned.
“Within, I’d say, on average, 3.2 minutes, they were all saying we would be honoured to quadruple our drug prices,” he said.
“So we would be honoured to quadruple our prices if that’s what you like. We want to make you happy.”
Trump said he then tied the issue directly to tariffs.
“Therefore, I will not charge you a tariff, and you’re going to increase your drug prices by three times what they were paying two days ago,” he said, asserting that foreign governments chose higher drug prices over trade retaliation.
Trump again contrasted his approach with that of former President Joe Biden.
“And we have now a favoured nation. You think Biden could do that? I don’t think so. I think Biden never thought of it,” he said.
According to Trump, this approach ensured that Americans would no longer be subsidising healthcare costs abroad.
He has repeatedly argued that the United States pays far more for prescription medicines than other developed countries and that foreign governments benefit from lower prices at the expense of American consumers.
AFP, in a December 23 report, noted that Trump has shared similar accounts previously, including during remarks from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
In that version, Trump said he told Macron, “Emmanuel, you have to raise your drug prices,” to which the French leader initially replied, “No, no, no, we will not do that.”
Trump claimed the standoff ended only after he threatened a 25 per cent tariff on everything France sells to the United States, prompting Macron to relent.
AFP noted that despite Trump’s repeated claims, there has been no official announcement or decision in France confirming any increase in prescription drug prices.
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