Donald Trump has mocked Emmanuel Macron’s sunglasses during his rambling speech at Davos, joking, “what the hell happened?” regarding the French president’s appearance.
Mr Macron drew attention yesterday for wearing a pair of aviators while addressing delegates at the World Economic Forum. He did not explain why he was wearing the sunglasses during his speech.
Last week, Mr Macron appeared at a military event in southern France with a red eye, but later clarified he had a “totally benign” and “completely insignificant” condition.
Later on, his office said the choice to wear sunglasses during his speech, which took place indoors, was to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel.
As Mr Trump addressed the forum on Wednesday, he took aim at the French president’s eye condition and “those beautiful sunglasses”.
“What the hell happened?” He added to laughter from the audience, before commending Mr Macron for acting “tough” in their previous meeting as they discussed drug prices.
“I like him, I actually like him. Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Mr Trump continued before he accused France of taking advantage of the US over prescription drugs for over 30 years.
Mr Trump said he had threatened the French president with additional tariffs as his country had refused to raise drug prices.
“If you don’t, I’m putting a 25 per cent tariff on everything you’re selling to the United States, I’m putting a 100 per cent tariff on your wines and champagnes,” he told the audience at Davos, before asserting that France had been “screwing” the United States for three decades.
France’s relationship with the US has become strained as European leaders have pushed back with the United States’ plans to acquire Greenland.
The US president threatened European countries earlier this week with 10 per cent tariffs on “any and all goods” sent to the US from 1 February, increased to 25 per cent from 1 June until a deal is reached for Washington to take Greenland from Denmark.
Mr Macron said on Tuesday that Washington’s threat to impose tariffs was “fundamentally unacceptable” as an attempt to bend Europe’s resolve over Greenland, as he affirmed France would stand up to “bullies”.
He warned that additional tariffs by the US could force the EU to use a “trade bazooka” anti-coercion mechanism for the first time.
“The crazy thing is that we could find ourselves in a situation where we use the anti-coercion mechanism for the very first time against the United States,” said Mr Macron, arguing that allied countries should be focusing instead on bringing peace to Ukraine.
“Can you imagine it? It’s crazy. I regret it, but it is the consequence of unnecessary aggressiveness. Still, we must all remain calm.”
Further to disagreements around Greenland, Mr Macron said that France would not join Mr Trump’s “Board of Peace” plans with foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot alleging that the organisation had been presented as a replacement of the United Nations.
Mr Trump responded to news that the French leader was unlikely to join by telling reporters: “Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon.
“I’ll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join,” Mr Trump told reporters. “But he doesn’t have to join.”
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