Former U.S. President Donald Trump accused French President Emmanuel Macron of yielding to the desires of Chinese President Xi Jinping during Macron's recent visit to Beijing, which was closely monitored. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said, "You have this crazy world exploding and the United States has no role whatsoever. Macron, who is a friend of mine, ended up kissing [President Xi's] ass!"
During the interview, Trump ridiculed the foreign policy of Democratic President Joe Biden, stating it has emboldened Russia, North Korea, and China while marginalizing the United States' role as a global leader. Notably, similar criticisms had often been directed at Trump's own administration.
In response to Trump's remarks, a senior French diplomat characterized them as "despicable," pointing to Trump's own comments during his visit to Beijing in November 2017, when he said, "I do not blame China" for the trade deficit.
At the end of his visit to China last week, Macron urged the European Union to reduce dependence on the United States and warned against falling into a crisis over Taiwan driven by "American rhythm and exaggerated Chinese reaction."
Trump himself was accused during his tenure of yielding to the wishes of leaders around the world, particularly authoritarian rulers such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He was also criticized during his presidency for overturning some principles of post-World War II U.S. foreign policy by questioning the usefulness of NATO and sidelining European partners.
