Not everyone in the Trump administration is pleased with the president’s impromptu lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the weekend’s G-7 summit.
President Trump and Macron met for a last-minute lunch before the events in Biarritz, France, kick off on Saturday. The pair discussed a wide range of issues, including tensions with Iran, Russia, and trade policy, according to Macron. After the French president’s comments, Trump stressed that the two have a “very good relationship.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time. And every once in a while, we go at it just a little bit — not very much. But we get along very well. We have a very good relationship. Sort of, I think I can say, a special relationship,” he said. “And I think we’ll accomplish a lot this weekend, and I look forward to it.”
However, some members of the Trump administration weren’t too happy about Macron’s luncheon invitation, Politico reports. An official reportedly criticized Macron for also highlighting topics like gender equality and climate change in an apparent attempt to appeal to his domestic audience.
“It’s our view that with France trying to drive these other issues outside of global economics, national security and trade, they’re trying to fracture the G7,” the official said.
Despite their friendly appearance, the presidents have hit some bumps in their relationship. Just last month, for example, President Trump threatened to slap tariffs on French wine in retaliation for a tax law Macron signed targeting U.S.-based tech groups like Amazon and Google. Trump doubled down on that threat while speaking with reporters on Friday.
