Macron backs King Charles’ dig at Trump. Photos: X.
French President Emmanuel Macron has responded to King Charles III’s jibe at US President Donald Trump where the King ‘mocked’ his belittling of European Allies. The King, during his visit to the US, said in an address, “You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French?” The comment drew applause and laughter from the audience, including Trump. Macron uploaded the clip and said, “That would be chic!”
Trump had previously asserted American dominance in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“The USA is the economic engine of the planet. And when America booms, the entire world booms. Without us, right now you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese, perhaps,” he said on January 21.
He also poked fun at Macron’s choice to wear sunglasses due to an eye health problem when he spoke at the World Economic Forum. “I watched him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses.
What the hell happened?” Trump said. Earlier on April 2, Trump made personal comments on Macron as he mocked his relationship with his wife as he chided France for refusing to join the US-Israeli offensive against Iran. “I called up France, Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly, (he is) still recovering from the right to the jaw,” Trump said, as quoted by CNN, apparently referring to a video from 2025 in which Brigitte Macron appeared to ‘slap’ Macron in the face aboard the French presidential jet. The back-and-forth between the White House and France is an old saga.
On March 17, 2025, during her press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about a European Parliament member from France asking for the Statue of Liberty back, saying they do not think the US represents the values the Statue embodies anymore.
“They want the Statue of Liberty back. So would Trump send the Statue of Liberty back to France?” the reporter had asked. She smiled and sardonically replied, “Absolutely not. And my advice to that unnamed, low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country.”
France continues to suffer like the rest of Europe, as they refuse to join the war they did not have a say in. France found itself in the crossfire on Saturday when Iran fired shots at a French ship trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz, as per New York Times. Macron blamed “both sides” for the incident. He said it was partly prompted by Trump’s decision to leave an American blockade in place, which caused the Iranians to back out on opening the Strait.
(With inputs from ANI)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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