Overview
- A White House video, briefly posted then restricted, captured President Trump insulting Emmanuel Macron during a private lunch.
- The clip also recorded Trump asking France to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane for Gulf oil.
- Macron, speaking in Seoul, called the remarks not elegant or worthy of reply and warned that constant mixed signals drain NATO’s credibility.
- Trump has labeled NATO a paper tiger and said he is seriously considering leaving the alliance, according to recent interviews.
- In a national address, he echoed a Truth Social call for partners to go into the strait and seize it, pressing allies for faster action.