President Trump on Tuesday continued to lash out at French President Emmanuel Macron, hitting the French leader for a “very low Approval Rating,” the unemployment rate and trade policies.
In a series of tweets, Trump lashed out at France over trade practices, focusing on tariffs that he said “makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell” French wines.
{mosads}The president in a follow-up tweet attacked Macron directly, referencing the French president’s speech last weekend where he took an apparent swipe at Trump by calling nationalism “a betrayal of patriotism.”
Trump tweeted, “there is no country more Nationalist than France.”
“The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%,” Trump wrote. “He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!”
Trump’s weekend visit to France was marked by multiple indications of a souring relationship with the longtime U.S. ally.
Speaking Sunday at the Arc de Triomphe alongside Trump and other world leaders, Macron decried nationalism.
“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism,” Macron said. “Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests first … we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace, and what is essential: its moral values.”
“Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia,” Trump tweeted earlier on Tuesday.
“But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two – How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along,” he added. “Pay for NATO or not!”
Trump tweeted a similar sentiment last Friday, moments after landing in Paris for a weekend trip commemorating the end of World War I.
Macron last week pushed for a “true, European army,” highlighting the potential threat of Russia, China and the U.S. as he said the continent needs “to defend itself better alone.”