French President Emmanuel Macron sharply rebuked Donald Trump on Thursday. The diplomatic clash started as deep divisions fracture NATO over the ongoing US-led war with Iran and the critical closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump mocked Macron and his wife, Brigitte, during a private White House lunch on Wednesday attended by faith leaders and government officials. He mimicked a French accent. He claimed the French First Lady treats her husband “extremely badly.” The personal attacks stem directly from France’s refusal to immediately deploy naval support to the Gulf.
Macron delivered a blunt response upon arriving for a state visit in South Korea on Thursday.
He called Trump’s attacks “neither elegant nor up to standard” and insisted they “do not merit a response,” according to a detailed report published Thursday. Macron urged the US President to “be serious” and reminded him that global conflict “isn’t a show!”
The White House briefly posted video of Trump’s remarks on its official YouTube channel before swiftly removing it. In the footage, Trump called NATO a “paper tiger.” He mocked Macron’s military hesitation, claiming the French leader told him, “No, no, no, we cannot do that, Donald. We can do that after the war is won.”
Trump also claimed Macron was “still recovering from the right to the jaw.” This directly referenced a viral May 2025 video from Vietnam that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face. Macron previously dismissed that specific incident as playful joking and a disinformation campaign.
How Trump’s Attacks Forged Rare Political Unity in France
Trump’s personal insults achieved an unexpected result across the international world stage. Fierce domestic rivals in France immediately united to defend the presidency.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, the centrist president of France’s lower house, condemned Trump for laughing while people died on the battlefield. The defense crossed strict ideological lines. Manuel Bompard, the national coordinator for the radical left opposition party La France Insoumise, called Trump’s words about Macron’s wife “absolutely unacceptable.”