WATCH: Donald Trump Says His ‘Friend’ Emmanuel Macron Is In China ‘Kissing Xi Jinping's A**’

NEW YORK: In his first media interview days after his indictment in New York, former United States President Donald Trump has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of bowing before China. In an explosive interview with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Trump said, “French President Emmanuel Macron has been in China meeting with Xi Jinping and kissing his ass." The former US president also told Carlson that “France is now going to China.”

During the interview, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee regretted that the United States had lost much of its influence in the world since he left office. “You got this crazy world, it’s blowing up and the United States has absolutely no say," he told Carlson.

A video of the interview was shared by Benny Johnson in which Trump can be seen Trump slamming Macron for giving China a soft greenlight to invade Taiwan.

 

Trump slams Macron for giving China soft greenlight to invade Taiwan: "Macron, who's a friend of mine, is over with China kissing [Xi Jinping's] ass in China." pic.twitter.com/mddP4bYHZ4 — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 12, 2023

 

The extremely critical remarks from Trump came after Macron stirred up controversy by warning the European countries against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an "American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction".

The French President also called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on the US and to become a "third pole" in world affairs along with Washington and Beijing.

Macron's remarks coincided with China's military drills around Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a trip to the US, where she met House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China had warned Tsai Ing-Wen against meeting McCarthy.

Speaking to journalists Macron said European countries should not get caught in the tense standoff between Beijing and Washington over the fate of Taiwan.

Macron’s comments evoked sharp reactions from the other side of the Atlantic.

In the US, Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, called them “embarrassing” and “disgraceful. The White House said only that it was “focused on the terrific collaboration and coordination that we have with France,” per National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.