Trump blasts Macron while criticizing NATO in Iran war: ‘His wife treats him extremely badly’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron during the Easter lunch at the White House on Wednesday, April 1, mocking Macron’s marriage while criticizing NATO for refusing to assist in US operations against Iran.

Trump called the military alliance a "paper tiger," saying he personally requested French naval support in the Gulf, only to be rebuffed.

Trump mocks French President Macron over marriage and leadership

During the event, Trump targeted the domestic dynamics between Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

"I called up France, Macron — whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw," Trump said.

The remark appeared to reference a viral video from May 2025 during a state visit to Vietnam, which allegedly showed Brigitte Macron shoving her husband’s face. Macron previously dismissed the footage as misleading, insisting it was a joke.

Trump says France refused US naval support in Gulf

The conversation then shifted to military cooperation in the Middle East, where Trump said he asked France to join US naval efforts.

He recalled telling Macron, "Emmanuel, we'd love to have some help in the Gulf even though we're setting records on knocking out bad people and knocking out ballistic missiles. We'd love to have some help. If you could, could you please send ships immediately."

Trump said the request for immediate support was met with hesitation.

Trump ridicules Macron’s delayed response to US request

Mimicking a French accent, Trump quoted Macron as saying, “No, no, no, we cannot do that, Donald. We can do that after the war is won.”

Trump said he rejected the delayed offer, stating, "No no, I don't need after the war is won, Emmanuel."

This exchange prompted Trump to criticize NATO more broadly, questioning the alliance’s reliability in a major crisis.

"So I learned about NATO — NATO won't be there if we ever have the big one," Trump warned, calling the alliance a “paper tiger."