President Trump told newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday that he supported him during the French election, according to Reuters.
“You were my guy,” Trump told his French counterpart during their first meeting at a NATO summit in Brussels.
A source told Reuters that Trump said he was following Macron’s campaign closely and that media reports saying he was supporting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen were false.
{mosads}While Trump never publicly endorsed Le Pen, he did tell The Associated Press in April that she was “the strongest on borders and she is the strongest on what’s going on in France” and that month’s attack on a police bus in Paris would “probably help her” because of that.
Former President Barack Obama publicly endorsed Macron in May.
Macron garnered more than 60 percent of the vote, handily defeating Le Pen in May.
Trump congratulated Macron on his “tremendous victory” on Thursday before taking part in a prolonged handshake with France’s newest leader.