In all great love stories, there are several common elements. There is the exciting encounter, the whirlwind romance, a fight, and then either break-up or happily-ever-after. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron’s relationship has charted a very similar path since they first met in April. But unfortunately for French-American relations, it is increasingly looking like their great bromance is heading for disaster.
Despite a shaky start when they first met (and a tortuously long handshake) the two presidents surprised everyone when they began to get on famously after Donald Trump went to Paris for Bastille day. The pair bonded over a joint love of military parades, and the French wannabe-Sun King treated Trump like the emperor he longed to be while he visited.
But soon after their relationship began to fray. At the weekend, they clashed over Macron’s desire to build a European army, and at the centenary celebrations, the French president attacked his American counterpart’s nationalism, while Trump snubbed Macron by visiting an American cemetery.
Now, it looks like the two have finally entered the stage of the painful break-up, with Trump firing several broadsides across the Atlantic attacking France’s defeat in the world wars, Macron’s approval ratings and French wine tariffs:
Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two – How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%. He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!……..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
Finally ending by saying ‘MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN’
……MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018
Mr Steerpike thinks Donald Trump’s choice to attack Macron’s approval ratings might be a source of rapprochement though. After all, it highlights the common thread that ties the two men together: they both possess very fragile egos.
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