A call between President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron last week that focused on trade and immigration went badly and saw Macron be highly critical of Trump’s policies, two sources familiar with the call told CNN.
“Just bad. It was terrible,” one of the sources told CNN. “Macron thought he would be able to speak his mind, based on the relationship. But Trump can’t handle being criticized like that.”
The call came on the same day that Trump announced his tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and a 10 percent on imported aluminum would include key allies, including Mexico, Canada and the European Union.
The tariffs were first announced in March, but several countries received temporary exemptions. The exemptions for the European Union, Canada and Mexico ended on Friday.
Macron said in a statement that he regrets the decision to lift the exemptions and impose tariffs, calling it illegal and “a mistake on many points.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to call Trump on Monday, according to sources that spoke with CNN.
A White House readout of the Thursday conversation between Trump and Macron noted that trade and immigration were discussed.
“Both leaders discussed the migration problem in Libya, and timelines to solve it. President Trump underscored the need to rebalance trade with Europe,” it read.