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Trump slams 'very insulting' French President Emmanuel Macron while arriving in France

November 10, 2018

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } November 10, 2018

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron

Christophe Petit-Tesson/Getty Images

President Trump arrived in France Friday to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War I and meet with world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron. Moments after landing, Trump tweeted an attack on Macron's recent proposal to create a "true European army."

President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia. Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2018

NATO members are required to devote 2 percent of GDP to defense spending, but most do not keep that promise, which has long been a point of contention for Trump.

Macron argued in a radio interview Tuesday that Europe must "protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia, and even the United States of America." An unnamed senior French official told CNN Trump took Macron's words out of context, and that Macron will likely respond directly to the rebuke sometime Saturday.