French President Emmanuel Macron refused to comment Tuesday on a phone conversation he had with President Trump in the wake of Trump’s decision to rescind exemptions for certain members of the European Union on his newly enacted steel and aluminum tariffs.
“As Bismarck used to say, if we explained to people how sausages were made, it’s unlikely they’d keep eating them,” Macron told reporters at a press conference in Paris, France, referring to Otto von Bismarck, an influential 19th century Prussian leader.
“So, I like it when people see the finished meal, but I’m not convinced the kitchen commentary helps with delivering the meal or eating it,” Macron continued, per the Associated Press and the Guardian.
A source told CNN in an article published June 4 that the discussion, which was focused on trade and immigration, went terribly.
“Just bad. It was terrible,” the source told the news organization. “Macron thought he would be able to speak his mind, based on the relationship. But Trump can’t handle being criticized like that.”
The Elysee Palace released a statement prior to the call that slammed the White House’s decision to slap tariffs on the E.U., describing the move as “illegal” and “a mistake.”
“It is a mistake because it responds to a worldwide unbalance that exists in the worst ways through fragmentations and economic nationalism,” the statement read.
“You can go and ask the people who make comments, but here in Paris, we don’t make comments on how it went, or how hot, cold, warm or terrible things are. We just go ahead and do things,” Macron said Tuesday.
He added that he was looking forward to more “useful” and “frank” dialogue with Trump at the upcoming G7 summit in Quebec, Canada.
