Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, the story of two best enemies

At school, Emmanuel Macron was the model child. Donald Trump, the terrible child who, a few years later, even boasted about having a black eye with one of his teachers. Little has changed since. The leaders of the G7 summit, August 24-26, were no exception to their own rules. One used his head, the other his fists.

The genesis of this tumultuous history dates back to May 2017. Freshly elected, Emmanuel Macron meets for the first time Donald Trump at a summit of NATO in Brussels.

The rumors and sneers around the American president's aggressive handshakes had already crossed the Atlantic. A savvy man is worth two: reluctant to suffer the same fate as Japanese President Shinzo Abe - whose 19-second handshake has become viral on the internet - Emmanuel Macron presented his American counterpart real iron grip. So firm that she left the knuckles of Donald Trump's hands white.

At that time, the media had already been passionate about this six-second handshake. According to a Washington Post reporter present that day, it was "of considerable intensity." Jaws tight, faces tense ... "If the relationship of these two men is defined by the way they shake hands, we can expect a relentless relationship," she predicted.

As Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigette visit Washington, it's worth remembering that Trump made the moves on the First Lady in front of Melania. "You're in such good shape." She's in such great shape. pic.twitter.com/9o9i7f3f1O

Hit for one

Donald Trump is the type to make the shots. The following month, he announced his intention to get the United States out of the Paris climate deal (adopted by more than 195 countries in 2015), claiming he was elected to "represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris".

Turning the campaign slogan "Make America great again" used by Donald Trump in 2016, Emmanuel Macron launches into a mix of cynicism and cunning, "Make our planet great again" and invites the American climatologist to come to conduct their research in France. A snub to the American president, who supports then climatosceptic theses.

But from love to hate, there is only one step. The following month, in Paris for the celebrations of July 14, and having only warm words to the French president, Donald Trump calls France "the first and oldest ally of the United States", and even splits a compliment on the physique of the First Lady, Brigitte Macron, finding her "in great shape".

As Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigette visit Washington, it's worth remembering that Trump made the moves on the First Lady in front of Melania. "You're in such good shape." She's in such great shape. pic.twitter.com/9o9i7f3f1O

During their reunion, nine months later, it was enough for the American president to do so that their budding friendship would not degenerate again. During a state visit by his French counterpart, Donald Trump found it good to humiliate Emmanuel Macron, before the cameras in the oval office, dusting the collar of his suit with some film. As a reaction, the French head of state is satisfied with a smile, postponing his response to later.

Attacked at home

It is April 25, 2018 that the opportunity presents itself, during a speech delivered in front of the Congress of the United States, in the form of criticism of "America first" of Donald Trump.

"We must find a transition to a low-carbon economy," the French president insisted, as the US government wanted to revive the coal industry. "What is the meaning of our life, really, if we work and live by destroying the planet, while sacrificing the future of our children?", He continued emphatically.

"I believe we can build the right answers ... by negotiating through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and building cooperative solutions," said Emmanuel Macron, referring to Donald Trump's contempt for WTO, and its dependence on tariffs.

Relying on the very ideology that led to the election of the billionaire to the presidency of the United States, the French head of state affirmed the need for the world to reject "isolationism, withdrawal and nationalism ", and work through the multinational organizations that" [you] have built, like the United Nations and NATO, to shape our common responses to the global threats we face. "

After Emmanuel Macron's grating speech, his relations with the American president were more than ever marked by their differences in politics.

In November 2018, the latter blasted the French president on Twitter - social network erected by Donald Trump in true agora - for the proposal made by Emmanuel Macron to Europe to form an army. "Very insulting," said the US president, saying: "Perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the United States strongly subsidizes!" A tweet sent from his plane Air Force One, while it was preparing to land on French soil for the celebrations of the end of the First World War.

President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the US, China and Russia. Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its share of NATO, which the US subsidizes greatly!

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. In a twenty-minute speech to an audience of 70 world leaders at the Arc de Triomphe, Emmanuel Macron once again openly condemned Donald Trump's "America First" policy. , and called his assistance to reject "the selfishness of a people who looks only at its interests, because patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism."

The unity found

At the G7 summit in Biarritz, the weekend of August 24-26, 2019, the words and actions of the two leaders depicted diametrically opposed images. "I love French wine," Donald Trump told reporters at an impromptu lunch with the French president, just hours after he threatened France with duties on the same product.

France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies. If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country, the USA. We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron's foolishness shortly. I've always said American wine is better than French wine!

Once in France, the US president insisted that both countries "have done a lot together" and "are friends of long standing". "From time to time, we just go a little hard, but not too much," he conceded.

During the G7, he offered the leaders of the other powers sitting around the table talks, reasons to hope that they could work together. "Everyone gets along well," he said. "I think we'll do a lot of things this weekend."

Highlight of the show, and umpteenth sign of a calming relationship between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, they presented side by side Monday to give a joint press conference to conclude the G7 summit. The occasion for the French president to thank his American counterpart many times, greeting him with a vigorous handshake at the end of his speech. "I really wanted to thank you for your presence and this action, during these two days, and to thank the first lady who was active alongside my wife, she always makes us the honor of her presence in France and she knows oh how popular it is in our country, "he said before concluding," thank you very much President. "

🔴 #DIRECT Closure from # G7 to #Biarritz: follow the press conference of Emmanuel #Macron and Donald #Trump https://t.co/3NJv31Pt9v

For his part, Donald Trump did not skimp on superlatives to designate the French presidential couple. "I would like to thank you for the work you have done President Macron, and your wife too, your wife who is a super First Lady," launched the one who will preside over the upcoming G7 summit in the United States. "This G7 was a great success (...), we would have liked to continue and stay longer, no one wanted to leave," he continued, finishing his speech by praising the presidency of the summit held this year by Emmanuel Macron. "You have very well directed this G7, so I wanted to thank you and thank the great country that is France!", Concluded Donald Trump, before, not just a handshake, but a confraternity embrace.

Article adapted in French by Pauline Rouquette, find the English version here