‘Not up to standard’: Macron criticises Trump after comments about his marriage

Emmanuel Macron has said Donald Trump’s comments about his marriage were “neither elegant nor up to standard” after the US president put on an accent and mocked his French counterpart and his wife during a private lunch in Washington.

Arriving in South Korea on Thursday, Macron made clear his displeasure at Trump’s comments, which appeared briefly in a video on the White House YouTube channel before being removed.
“So I am not going to respond to them – they do not merit a response,” Macron told reporters.

Trump appeared to make fun of Macron and his wife during the lunch on Wednesday, guests at which included faith leaders and government figures in Washington, as he lambasted Nato allies for not joining the war against Iran.

Mimicking a French accent, Trump said Macron’s wife, Brigitte, “treats him extremely badly”. Speaking about approaching France for help on Iran, Trump said: “We didn’t need them, but I asked anyway.”

He added: “I call up France, Macron – whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw.”

Trump appeared to be referring to a May 2025 video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face as they prepared to disembark from a plane on an official visit to Vietnam.