Trump mocks Macron: “His wife treats him extremely badly”

US President Donald Trump mocked French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, during a private lunch on April 1, while criticising NATO allies for not participating in the ongoing war against Iran, which has destabilised the Middle East.

“We didn’t need them, but I asked anyway,” Trump said during the lunch, according to a video that was briefly posted on the White House YouTube channel before access was blocked, as per AFP.

“I call up France, Macron – whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump said, referring to a May 2025 video that circulated online and appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face during a trip to Vietnam. Macron later dismissed the footage as part of a disinformation campaign.

Trump went on to describe a conversation he claimed to have had with the French leader. “And I said, ‘Emmanuel, we’d love to have some help in the Gulf even though we’re setting records on knocking out bad people and knocking out ballistic missiles. We’d love to have some help. If you could, could you please send ships immediately,’“ he said.

He then mimicked a French accent while recounting Macron’s alleged response: “ ‘No no no, we cannot do that, Donald. We can do that after the war is won’,” Trump said.

“I said, ‘No no, I don’t need after the war is won Emmanuel’,” he added.

Trump used the remarks to question NATO’s reliability, saying: “So I learned about NATO – NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one, you know what I mean by the big one,” without elaborating.

He also described NATO as a “paper tiger,” in the latest criticism of the alliance by the US leader and senior officials since his return to the White House.

On March 31, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States “is going to have to re-examine” its relationship with NATO after the war with Iran concludes.

The comments referenced a May 2025 video published by the Associated Press showing Macron’s arrival in Vietnam. In the footage, Macron’s silhouette is visible inside the aircraft when his wife’s hands appear and quickly move toward his face, creating the impression that she struck him. Macron later rejected that interpretation, calling it part of a disinformation campaign.

French broadcaster BFM TV reported that Macron appeared surprised in the moment but quickly composed himself and greeted officials waiting on the ground. After descending the aircraft stairs, Macron, as usual, offered his wife his hand, but she did not take it and instead held onto the handrail.

By Tamilla Hasanova