Macron Slams Trump’s "Inelegant" Marriage Jibe; Rejects "Unrealistic" Force in the Strait of Hormuz

In his first comment from Seoul on Thursday, April 2, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron described Donald Trump’s comments about his marriage as "neither elegant nor up to standard," adding they did not merit a formal response. Trump had earlier mocked Macron on national TV, claiming his wife Brigitte "treats him badly" and referencing a debunked May 2025 video allegedly showing her "slapping" him in Vietnam.

The "Paper Tiger" Dispute:

The feud deepened as Trump ridiculed France for refusing to deploy ships to the Gulf and called NATO a "paper tiger". Macron countered that U.S. plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz by force are "unrealistic" and cautioned that international diplomacy "is not a show," signaling a major fracture in the Western alliance over the month-long Iran conflict.