French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump for mocking him and his wife, Brigitte Macron, during a private lunch in Washington, calling the remarks “neither elegant nor up to standard.”
Arriving in South Korea on Thursday, Macron made his displeasure clear but declined to respond directly to Trump, saying, “So I am not going to respond to them – they do not merit a response.”
The incident provoked widespread condemnation in France. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, called Trump’s behavior inappropriate, saying: “Honestly, it’s not up to par. We are discussing matters that affect millions of lives, yet we have a president who is laughing and mocking others.”
Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of La France Insoumise, defended Macron and denounced Trump’s comments about his wife as “absolutely unacceptable.” He added, “Even as someone who disagrees with President Macron on many issues, for Trump to speak about him and his wife in that way is completely out of line.”
The backlash extended to French media, with Le Figaro describing Trump’s behavior as “another controversial outburst,” highlighting the embarrassment caused to France in diplomatic circles.
Trump’s remarks reportedly included a French-accented imitation of Macron’s alleged response to US requests for assistance in the Gulf, as well as a comment suggesting Brigitte Macron “treats him extremely badly,” referencing a May 2025 video from Vietnam that Macron had previously dismissed as playful joking.
The incident has reignited concerns in France over the US president’s treatment of foreign leaders and underscored the importance of respect and decorum in international diplomacy.
