Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
U.S. President Donald Trump took an unexpected swipe at France during a televised interview on Monday, claiming that Washington has faced “a lot of problems with the French,” and suggesting that Paris is no better than Beijing when it comes to dealing with the United States.
Speaking with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump interrupted a discussion about Chinese students studying in American universities to make his point. Ingraham remarked, “It’s not the French, it’s the Chinese. They’re spying on us. They’re stealing our intellectual property.”
Trump quickly interjected: “Do you really think the French are any better? I’ll tell you, I’m not so sure about that.”
His comments appeared to surprise the Laura Ingraham and reignited debate over Trump’s often volatile relationships with key U.S. allies.
A Complicated Relationship with Macron
Trump has maintained an unusual rapport with French President Emmanuel Macron, marked by public displays of camaraderie, handshakes, warm gestures, and mutual praise punctuated by sharp policy disagreements.
Despite the apparent friendship, the relationship was often strained behind the scenes. Trump repeatedly clashed with Macron over issues ranging from climate policy and taxation to the recognition of a Palestinian state.
In 2019, Macron reportedly phoned Trump after being delayed in traffic by the U.S. presidential motorcade in New York during the United Nations General Assembly a small but telling episode in their complex dynamic.
Friction Over Defense, Climate, and Trade
Tensions between Washington and Paris intensified during Trump’s term as he pressed NATO allies, including France, to significantly increase defense spending. Macron, while supporting NATO, sought to assert European strategic independence, a position that often put him at odds with Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
The former president also criticized France’s climate commitments after pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement in 2017, calling it an “unfair deal” that disadvantaged American industry.
More recently, Trump has railed against France’s digital services tax, which he argues unfairly targets U.S. tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Facebook. “We’ve had a lot of problems with the French,” Trump said in the Fox interview. “They impose unfair taxes on our technologies.”
Renewed Criticism Amid 2024 Campaign
Trump’s remarks come as he intensifies his rhetoric on foreign policy while campaigning for a return to the White House in 2024. Analysts say his comments about France reflect a broader theme in his messaging: portraying traditional U.S. allies as economic competitors rather than dependable partners.
While Trump continues to describe China as America’s “chief adversary,” his suggestion that France is “not much better” underscores his willingness to challenge even close allies if he perceives U.S. interests to be at stake.
For now, neither the French government nor the Élysée Palace has issued an official response to Trump’s latest comments. However, the remarks have already drawn attention in both Washington and Paris, where they are being interpreted as a reminder of the unpredictable, transactional approach that defined Trump’s foreign policy during his first term.
