Trump attacks Macron with new world war jibe

Donald Trump yesterday unleashed an extraordinary attack on Emmanuel Macron, mocking the French president’s approval rating and lashing him over European defence proposals, on the heels of a rocky trip to Paris to mark the World War I centenary. In a caustic series of early-morning tweets the US president lambasted Macron’s support for a European army, while renewing his frequent charge that America’s European allies in NATO spend too little on defence.

“Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the US, China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France?” Trump tweeted.  “They were starting to learn German in Paris before the US came along,” Trump said, in a low blow sure to gall French allies.

“Pay for NATO or not!” The fierce broadside against a traditional US ally -- for whom Trump rolled out the red carpet in Washington earlier this year -- came just two days after Trump joined dozens of world leaders in Paris for events to mark the 100 years since the end of the Great War. 

After slamming Macron on defence, Trump’s went on to attack his standing as president: “The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26 per cent, and an unemployment rate of almost 10pc.” “He was just trying to get onto another subject,” Trump said, appearing to reference Macron’s push for a European military. “By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!”