French president requests respect following Trump’s tweets
ASSOCIATED PRESS
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech while President Donald Trump looks on before a lunch at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, as part of the commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the 11 November 1918 armistice, ending World War I, on Sunday.
PARIS >> French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the United States must respect each other, in a response to a flurry of critical tweets by Donald Trump.
Macron said in an interview today with French television TF1 from the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier off the coast of southern France that “the French don’t expect from me to answer to tweets.”
Trump lit into Macron Tuesday over his suggestion for a European defense force, French tariffs on U.S. wine and even Macron’s approval ratings.
Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two – How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%. He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!……..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
……MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
Asked whether Trump’s four tweets were unpleasant and inelegant, the French leader answered: “you summed up everything.”
He said he thinks that Trump “is doing American politics and I let him do American politics.”
“To be honest, I don’t do diplomacy or politics through tweets and comments”, he added.
Earlier today, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux suggested that the U.S. president lacked “common decency” by launching his broadside on a day when France was mourning victims of the November 2015 attacks in Paris.
“We were commemorating the assassination of 130 of our compatriots three years ago in Paris and Saint-Denis, and so I will reply in English: ‘Common decency’ would have been appropriate”, Griveaux said.
Trump’s tweets underscored tensions between the once-chummy leaders and displayed the U.S. president’s irritation over criticism of how he acted in France.
“Diplomacy is not made through tweets but through bilateral discussions,” Macron said during today’s weekly Cabinet meeting in comments reported by Griveaux.
The French and the American leaders met on Saturday in Paris before ceremonies commemorating a century since the armistice of World War I.
Since Macron’s election last year and their first white-knuckle handshake at a NATO summit, they have had an up-and-down relationship. Macron called Trump “my good friend” in front of reporters this weekend and their meeting was described as cordial by the French presidency.
Trump’s tweet Tuesday that said “MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!” revived French national pride on social media. Many replied by recalling France’s World Cup victory in July, 20 years after winning its first title.
France player Benjamin Mendy replied “don’t worry bro,” placing two stars in his tweet to signify the country’s two World Cup victories. Many others posted photos and reference to the soccer victory.
French decathlon champion Kevin Mayer tweeted “work in progress, dear Donald,” posting a photo of his recent world record, beating U.S. athlete Ashton Eaton’s previous mark.
