Emmanuel Macron seems to know something about Donald Trump that we don’t
It’s time to play “What does Emmanuel Macron know that we do not?” This weekend, Trump was in France and so was Vladimir Putin. In uncharacteristic fashion, French President Emmanuel Macron, known for his genteel nature, lashed out at Trump in a public way, not once, not twice, but three times. All I have to say is “Way to go, Emmanuel.”
The occasion in France was to remember the lessons from World War I and to honor those who fought for democracy, as well as to celebrate the end of the war and our continued, albeit shaky at times, peace accord. President Macron of France did set the tone, stating that Europe needed to consider having a separate and distinct European army to protect them from rogue nations, including the United States. Trump, quick to respond, tweeted before landing in France, that he was insulted by the comment.
Apparently, the tone of contention has continued as the weekend progressed. Did President Macron discover something that Trump and Putin are up to in the meantime? Because he sure has been throwing some serious diplomatic shade in the City of Lights during the anniversary ceremonies in Paris. He made the comment about the army, which is a legitimate concern, prior to the ceremony. He also made the following statement in a speech, which was clearly aimed at both Trump and Putin who were also in attendance: “Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism: nationalism is treason. By saying “our interests first and what others import!”, we erase what a Nation has most precious, which makes it live: its moral values.” Macron’s office later tweeted this quote from his speech, showing he is capable of fighting fire with fire.
And finally, in his most endearing move yet, President Macron led Trump and Putin to believe they would be seated next to each other at a luncheon held on Sunday, and that would be the best time for them to collude, I mean hold bilateral discussions. However, Macron had a trick up his sleeve and at the last minute, switched the two, and had them sitting at opposite sides of the table. Supposedly, the Kremlin has already voiced their complaints to France regarding the “gaffe” but I doubt Macron is losing any sleep over it. He seems to know something we don’t.
