Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

elleng

(130,974 posts)
Sat Aug 24, 2019, 09:36 PM Aug 2019

Trump Raves Over Macron at G7, While Aides Slam France.

BIARRITZ, France — Lunching on a patio overlooking the Bay of Biscay at the Hôtel du Palais on Saturday, President Trump gushed over Emmanuel Macron, the French president and the host of the weekend’s annual Group of 7 meeting, held this year in the quaint beach town of Biarritz in the south of France.

But even as Mr. Trump bragged about what he called “a special relationship” with Mr. Macron, saying they have “been friends for a long time,” members of Mr. Trump’s administration were publicly and privately dumping on the French president and his team. They complained that the focus of the summit was more on “niche issues” than the global economic challenges facing their nations.

Senior administration officials said that the agenda would center too much on issues designed to play well with Mr. Macron’s domestic audience — like climate change, income and gender equality, and African development — and was engineered to highlight disagreements with Mr. Trump’s administration.

They accused Mr. Macron’s aides of ignoring pleas by Trump administration officials to focus the summit, which runs through Monday, on national security and a looming economic slowdown. And they said Mr. Macron was purposely trying to fracture the Group of 7 by veering away from its longstanding mission of ensuring that the strains on other economies do not spread globally.

“France, this year’s host, wants the Group of 7 to stay silent on these core economic issues,” Larry Kudlow, the director of Mr. Trump’s National Economic Council, wrote in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal as Mr. Trump arrived in Biarritz. Mr. Kudlow accused the French of focusing on “politically correct bromides” and said the Group of 7 was in danger of losing its way. “Trade and the global economy have gotten short shrift.”

The orchestrated message, some of it delivered by administration officials who asked to remain anonymous in order to criticize a foreign leader, underscored the deep rift between Mr. Trump and his counterparts in an organization that during earlier times succeeded in fostering cooperation and consensus among the heads of state of the world’s leading democracies.

And it served as a reminder that Mr. Trump easily tires of the niceties of diplomacy.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/24/us/politics/trump-g7-economy.html?

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump Raves Over Macron at G7, While Aides Slam France. (Original Post) elleng Aug 2019 OP
the headline should read questionseverything Aug 2019 #1
Zacly elleng Aug 2019 #2
terrifying times questionseverything Aug 2019 #3
Utterly elleng Aug 2019 #4
trump and his sycophants seem to see all of our allies as the enemy. He loves Putin and Kim though. brush Aug 2019 #5
Bizarre in Biarritz captain queeg Aug 2019 #6
I am so sick of Trump acting like a fanboy Skittles Aug 2019 #7

questionseverything

(9,656 posts)
1. the headline should read
Sat Aug 24, 2019, 09:42 PM
Aug 2019

AFTER SPENDING THE LAST WEEK DESTROYING THE WORLD'S ECONOMY, TRUMP ADVISERS BLAME FRENCH FOR NOT FIXING WORLD'S ECONOMY

brush

(53,791 posts)
5. trump and his sycophants seem to see all of our allies as the enemy. He loves Putin and Kim though.
Sat Aug 24, 2019, 09:47 PM
Aug 2019
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Trump Raves Over Macron a...