Macron calls Trump’s comments on his marriage “inelegant”

French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised remarks made by US President Donald Trump about his marital life, describing them as inappropriate and unworthy of a response, while the comments triggered a broader backlash across the French political spectrum.

Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Macron addressed the issue directly, stating that Trump’s comments were “neither elegant nor up to standard.”

“I will not respond to this; it does not deserve a response,” he added.

The remarks prompted strong reactions in France, including from both Macron’s allies and political opponents. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, condemned Trump’s statements, saying: “Honestly, it’s not up to par.”

She also criticised the timing and tone of the comments, linking them to broader global developments. “We are currently discussing the future of the world. Right now in Iran, this is having consequences for the lives of millions of people, people are dying on the battlefield, and we have a president who is laughing, who is mocking others,” she told Franceinfo.

Support for Macron also came from across the political divide. Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the France Unbowed party, despite his known disagreements with the president, defended him against Trump’s remarks.

“You are aware of the extent of my disagreements with the president, but for Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner – I find that absolutely unacceptable,” Bompard said in an interview with BFMTV.

French media also reacted critically, with the conservative daily Le Figaro describing the episode as “another controversial outburst from Donald Trump.”

The controversy followed earlier comments by Trump, in which he said that Macron’s wife “treats him very badly” and claimed that the French president was “still recovering from a right to the jaw.”

By Tamilla Hasanova