Donald Trump mimicked Emmanuel Macron‘s French accent while speaking at a White House roundtable on Friday.
The president recounted a phone call he had with the leader of France while discussing his efforts equal the cost of drug prices that American’s pay compared to other countries.
Using a Gallic accent to show that Macron was speaking, Trump said the French President answered when called with, ‘Yes, Donald, Donald. Thank you so much for calling.’
Trump said he told Macron, ‘You’re not going to like this call. You’re going to have to get your drug prices up.’
‘No, no, no, no, no, I will not do that,’ Trump said in an impersonation of Macron’s voice. .
Trump, who signed an executive order in May on brining ‘most-favored-nation’ drug pricing to America, told Macron if France does not start paying more for pharmaceuticals, he would tariff the country.
‘I said, “Emmanuel, we’re paying 13 times more than – 13 times, not 13 percent – 13 times more than you are for this bill.” I rattled off some numbers that are crazy. You know the numbers I’m talking about,’ Trump said.
‘”Here’s the story, Emmanuel. If you don’t do it, I’m going to put a 25 percent tariff on all goods, wine, champagnes and everything else coming into the United States of America.”‘
Donald Trump mimicked Emmanuel Macron’s French accent while recounting a phone call the two had over drug prices
Last week, Macron accused the US of ‘breaking free from international rules’ and ‘gradually turning away’ from some of its allies
Trump, continuing to use a French accent, said that Macron immediately caved.
‘[Macron] said, “Donald, I would love to do this for you. It would be a great honor to do it,’ he said. ‘And that’s where it began. And I went through country after country.’
While recounting the phone conversation, Trump added that he thinks fondly of Macron.
‘I like him a lot. I hope he’s listening, because he doesn’t believe that, but I do. He’s a nice man,’ Trump said.
The president appeared to recount the same story using a French accent at the House GOP member retreat on January 6.
Before delving into the anecdote, Trump added, ‘I love the French accent.’
He went on to say that Macron told him: ‘Donald, you have a deal. I would like to increase my prescription drug prices by 200 per cent or whatever. Whatever you want, Donald, please don’t tell the population, I beg you.’
He claimed to have told France to either agree to the US’s demands or face a massive 25 percent tariff on all French products, including champagne and wine.
Trump said that he thinks fondly on Macron and believes he is ‘a nice man’
Two days later, Macron accused the US of ‘breaking free from international rules’ and ‘gradually turning away’ from some of its allies.
‘The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,’ Macron told ambassadors at the Elysée Palace.
‘Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively,’ Macron added. ‘We are living in a world of great powers with a real temptation to divide up the world.’
