There was a time when Donald Trump seemed to have found a rare, non-dictator friend on the world stage in Emmanuel Macron, a bromance he cemented with a long, weird handshake. After its first blush of promise, however, the relationship quickly went south, with Macron telling the world what he really thinks about his counterpart’s “America First” agenda, and Trump responding in kind. Things grew still rockier on Monday night, when Trump took Macron to task over his comments that NATO was experiencing “brain death” over the U.S.’s failure to communicate with other countries in the alliance. Europe must band together as its own superpower, Macron added in the November interview, or the continent would “no longer be in control of our destiny.”
In response, Trump told reporters as the alliance’s gathering kicked off in London, “You just can’t go around making statements like that about NATO.” He added, “I would say that nobody needs NATO more than France. That’s why I think when France makes a statement like they made about NATO, that’s a very dangerous statement for them to make.” Macron’s statements, he said, represented the ultimate triumvirate: “very, very nasty,” “very disrespectful,” and “very insulting.”
In general, Macron’s remarks in November were poorly received among world leaders, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticizing his “sweeping judgment” of the alliance. Trump, however, is an unlikely defender of NATO, a body he’s described as “obsolete.” Reports last January suggested that, at several points in 2018, Trump discussed withdrawing from the agreement altogether, complaining about the U.S.’s relatively larger burden. Even as he swiped at Macron Tuesday, Trump lamented that “the one that benefits really the least [from membership in the alliance] is the United States.”
This, of course, is exactly the kind of hostile attitude Macron’s “brain death” comments were referring to. A supporter of the Kurds, Macron was dismayed by Trump’s abrupt decision this fall to pull out of Syria, abandoning the Syrian Democratic Forces to a Turkish incursion without warning to France or other allies. “We should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States,” Macron told the Economist, adding that Washington “shows signs of turning its back” on Europe. So perhaps it’s less Macron’s dig at NATO that’s infuriated Trump, and more his criticism of American policy.
Either way, Trump’s little fit has effectively put Macron at arm’s length. Interestingly, it has also confirmed Trump’s support for NATO, telegraphing to world leaders that he’ll speak out to defend America’s role in the alliance—something he’s refused to do for years. Whether or not this was Macron’s plan all along is an open question. But it certainly proves the president can be Jedi-mind-tricked into taking a stance that’s more acceptable to the rest of the world.
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