Macron Once Had A Knack For Managing Trump. The G7 May Test It

WASHINGTON — The narration betwixt President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron started simply enough, pinch a handshake, astir a decade ago.

But moreover then, location were signs of strain successful their narration — tensions that could beryllium connected afloat show during adjacent week’s G7 acme successful France.

Back successful 2017, Trump was a brash businessman conscionable elected to America’s astir powerful office, and Macron was an upstart leader who had won his title successful a landslide. At a NATO acme successful Brussels, they clinched hands acold longer than astir group do erstwhile they meet for nan first time. Neither seemed to want to beryllium nan first to break a grip truthful tight that it exposed achromatic knuckles.

Nevertheless, a relationship was born. And early on, Macron seemed to beryllium nan 1 European leader pinch a knack for managing his mercurial, three-decades-older counterpart.

Macron invited nan Republican president to subordinate him for Bastille Day celebrations successful July 2017, including an Eiffel Tower meal day pinch their wives. Trump reciprocated by making Macron nan impermanent of grant nan pursuing twelvemonth astatine his first White House authorities dinner, nan highest negotiated grant nan United States tin widen to an ally.

But by nan extremity of Trump’s first term, nan bromance had faded. And successful his 2nd term, nan leaders now openly waste and acquisition barbs, disagreeing complete tariffs, Ukraine and nan Iran war. That move will beryllium scrutinized adjacent week erstwhile Trump and nan leaders of Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan subordinate Macron successful nan French lakeside edifice of Evian-les-Bains for nan G7 summit.

Trump’s long-simmering frustrations pinch US friends could beryllium connected display

There could beryllium awkward moments betwixt Trump and Macron, arsenic good arsenic among Trump and nan different G7 leaders he’s criticized for not joining him successful Iran.

“But I besides deliberation European leaders are rather professionals erstwhile it comes to politics, and successful immoderate ways diplomacy astatine this point, and will possibly spot it arsenic an opportunity arsenic well,” Max Bergmann, head of nan Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program astatine nan Center for Strategic and International Studies, said successful an interview.

Kurt Volker, a erstwhile U.S. ambassador to NATO, said nan Trump-Macron narration has been further analyzable by nan Iran warfare and Trump’s complaints “that Europeans weren’t helping, erstwhile they hadn’t been consulted, and their interests are very overmuch affected by this.”

“I deliberation that was a antagonistic for Macron,” Volker said.

Trump joined Israel successful a warfare against Iran complete its atomic programme backmost successful February without consulting different U.S. allies. He past complained publically erstwhile European countries spurned his requests for their help.

Waning support for Ukraine successful its warfare against Russia from nan Trump management “has really irritated nan French,” Volker said. “They consciousness this is important and we’re not paying attraction to it.” Macron invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to subordinate nan leaders’ discussions connected Tuesday.

Macron is nan G7 personnel who has dealt pinch Trump nan longest

In Trump’s first term, Macron appeared assured that he could seduce and power nan U.S. leader, but nan narration progressively has travel to beryllium defined by their disagreements.

Macron now says he is “careful” astir Trump’s statements, suggesting he nary longer takes them astatine look value. Their narration remains cordial arsenic each calls nan different “my friend.” But nan narration has besides knowledgeable immoderate ups and downs.

As president-elect, Trump attended nan reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral successful Paris successful precocious 2024 astatine Macron’s invitation. After Trump began his 2nd word successful 2025, Macron was an early Oval Office visitor. The president wrote connected societal media that he was “delighted” to invited Macron backmost to nan White House and said nan narration pinch France has been “very special.”

But astatine 1 constituent during nan meeting, nan French president publically corrected Trump aft he wrongly suggested that Europe would retrieve nan money it had provided to support Ukraine. With a smile, Macron touched Trump’s forearm and replied, “We provided existent money.”

Macron besides condemned arsenic “brutal and unfounded” caller tariffs that Trump slapped connected steel, aluminum and a broader scope of European imports successful early 2025.

But location person besides been immoderate lighter moments mixed pinch nan tensions.

A documentary aired past twelvemonth connected French tv showed Macron telling Trump during a telephone telephone that Zelenskyy had agreed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. Trump replied, “You’re nan greatest.”

Macron has often said he tin scope Trump straight whenever he needs to — and proved his constituent during past year’s U.N. General Assembly convention successful New York. After constabulary officers blocked nan French leader from crossing a thoroughfare because postulation had been halted for Trump’s motorcade, Macron whipped retired his cellphone and dialed nan U.S. president.

“How are you?” Macron said. “Guess what? I’m waiting successful nan thoroughfare because everything is stiff for you!”

‘This is not a show,’ Macron has said astir Trump’s NATO ambiguity

Macron has based on that Trump’s “America first” policies bolstered his lawsuit for a stronger European defense capacity that would lessen reliance connected nan United States.

In April of this year, arsenic Trump sent mixed signals astir Washington’s committedness to NATO aft nan commencement of nan warfare successful Iran, Macron delivered immoderate of his sharpest disapproval of nan U.S. president.

“There is excessively overmuch talk, and it’s going successful each directions,” Macron said. “We each request stability, calm and a return to peace. This is not a show.”

“You person to beryllium serious, and erstwhile you want to beryllium serious, you don’t opportunity nan other each time of what you said nan time before,” he said.

Trump, while mimicking a French accent, precocious has taken to reenacting a speech he says he had pinch Macron complete supplier prices and tariffs. Trump besides poked Macron by telling a backstage luncheon successful April that his wife, Brigitte Macron, treats her hubby badly. The comments were successful a video nan White House had posted connected its YouTube transmission earlier blocking access.

Macron didn’t spot immoderate joke successful Trump’s comments. “The remarks I heard were neither elegant nor appropriate,” he said. “They do not merit a response.”

Still, Macron has tried to accommodate Trump’s schedule to guarantee his beingness astatine nan acme successful Evian-les-Bains, knowing that he has a grounds of leaving specified gatherings early.

Macron primitively had group Sunday, which is Trump’s 80th birthday, arsenic nan opening time of nan summit, but he pushed nan commencement backmost a time because Trump is celebrating nan juncture pinch a UFC show staged connected nan White House grounds.

Superville and Corbet constitute for nan Associated Press. Corbet reported from Paris.