'NO PRESIDENT IS FOREVER' Macron THREATENS Donald Trump before G7 summit
FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron has threatened Donald Trump that the G7 wouldn’t “mind being six” and “no president is forever” as he slammed the US leader for steel tariffs.
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Speaking on Thursday, Mr Macron was asked whether Trump “didn’t care” about being isolated from other world leaders.
Standing alongside Canadian president Justin Trudeau, Mr Macron said: "The six countries of the G7 without the United States, are a bigger market taken together than the American market.
"Maybe the American president doesn't care about being isolated today, but we don't mind being six if needs be.”
Leaders are gathering in Canada for their weekend’s G7 summit, the first since Trump announced international steel tariffs that have been widely condemned by the world’s top politicians.
Trump has previously said that America has “the worst trade deals ever made”.
Mr Macron said of the deal: “I would like to say Mr Trump that the measures taken are counterproductive.
"We can’t engage in a trade war against friends.
“A trade war doesn’t spare anyone.
“It will start first of all to hurt US workers and the cost of raw materials will rise and industries will become less competitive.”
Tensions have been high between the two leaders since Macron was questioned about an apparently “terrible” phone call between the pair earlier in the week.
The French leader quoted from Prussian statesman Otto Von Bismarck in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked about his recent interaction with the Republican firebrand.
He said: “As Bismarck used to say, if we explained to people how sausages were made, it’s unlikely they’d keep eating them.
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“So I like it when people see the finished meal, but I’m not convinced the kitchen commentary helps with delivering the meal or eating it.
“Here in Paris, we don’t make comments on how it went, or how hot, cold, warm or terrible things are.
"We just go ahead and do things.”