US President Donald Trump recalled during a private dinner an episode in 2025 when French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife was caught on video hitting him. The French leader responded by saying that the US president’s comments about his family life were “inappropriate.” This is reported by Le Figaro, The Guardian and BFMTV.
As noted, a short video of this private dinner briefly appeared on the White House YouTube channel, after which it was deleted. Trump also spoke about his recent phone call with the French president.
“I’m calling France, Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly. He’s still recovering from a blow to the right jaw,” he said.
In addition, Trump mocked Macron’s accent during his English conversations and touched on his position on supporting the United States in the context of the war in Iran.
According to Trump, Macron allegedly wanted to help “after the war is won.”
During a visit to Seoul, Macron told reporters that Trump’s comments about his married life were “inappropriate.”
“I won’t go into that. We’re talking about very serious things. We’re talking about war, about women and men fighting, about women and men civilians being killed, about the war that’s raging in this region. We’re also talking about the consequences of this war for our economies…. Gasoline and gas prices are rising, and so the statements that I could hear and that you’re referring to are neither elegant nor dignified,” he said.
Trump’s statements have caused a negative reaction in France, including among Macron’s political opponents. The head of the French National Assembly, Yael Brown-Pivet, said such words were unacceptable.
“We are discussing the future of the world. Right now in Iran, it has consequences for the lives of millions of people, people are dying on the battlefield, and we have a president who laughs and mocks others,” she said.
Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the left-wing France Invincible party, which is a political opponent of Macron’s party, also came to the president’s defense.
“You know the extent of my disagreement with the president, but the fact that Donald Trump talks to him like this and speaks about him like this his wife, I find it completely unacceptable,” Bompar said.
