Trump's trip to NATO may showcase his breakup with France's Macron
President Donald Trump has decided his tight relationship with French leader Emmanuel Macron is over.
According to Axios, Trump has been complaining about Macron, calling him a "wise guy," a pejorative he's used to describe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"He's been down on Macron for a long while," one official told Axios.
The NATO meeting is expected to placate to the American president, saying that the allies have crafted a plan where all member states will pay more into the partnership.
"Allies believe they have worked hard to construct a positive narrative that Trump can buy into," a senior official from a NATO member state told the site.
Given Trump is trying to run for reelection, he'll likely "take credit," the official expected. However, "allies still very much fear the unpredictability of the president."
Trump thought that he had a bromance with Macron, frequently touching each other, a powerful handshake, and an invitation to the annual Bastille Day parade. But after Macron blindsided Trump by "covertly" inviting Iran Foreign Minister Zarif to the G7 summit, the two seem to be on the outs. Trump could also be frustrated after his favorite world leader, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attacked France for allegedly "supporting terrorism" because they back the Kurds against ISIS.
Macron warned in a recent interview with The Economist that "what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO" and that under Trump's leadership the U.S. is "turning its back on us."
Leave a Comment
Related Post