President Donald Trump on Friday gave marital advice to French President Emmanuel Macron in the wake of video footage released this week that showed the moment Macron’s wife, Brigitte, shoved him in the face.
The Context
The incident occurred as the Macrons landed in Vietnam on Sunday, the first stop on a weeklong tour of Southeast Asia.
The French president said he’s in the region at a “key crossroads of global trade” and to show that “France is present and acting with its partners” amid escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
What To Know
“Do you have any world leader to world leader marital advice to Macron?” Fox News‘ Peter Doocy asked Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, prompting laughter from some people in the room.
Trump, who has been married three times, smirked at Doocy’s question and responded: “Make sure the door remains closed. That was not good.” The president’s answer drew more laughs and he added: “No, I spoke to him and he’s fine.”
Doocy: Do you have any advice for Macron after getting slapped by the First Lady of France?
Trump: Make sure the door remains closed.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) May 30, 2025
The Associated Press captured the interaction between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron as they were on a plane in Vietnam. The French president’s office confirmed the footage was authentic, adding that it showed the couple “horsing around.”
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, from left, speaks with President Donald Trump as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio react during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in…
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, from left, speaks with President Donald Trump as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio react during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
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Associated Press
The Macrons’ relationship has drawn intense media attention for years, given their 25-year age difference and the fact that Brigitte Macron was married and a teacher at Emmanuel Macron’s high school when the two met.
Trump and Macron, meanwhile, have had a tumultuous relationship that has been strained by the Trump administration’s stance on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and Trump’s decision to levy sweeping global tariffs last month targeting virtually every U.S. trading partner, including France.
China was particularly hard hit and tensions between Washington and Beijing hit a boiling point when Trump announced a 145 percent tariff against China, prompting China to hit back with a 125 percent retaliatory tariff. The two sides have been engaged in trade talks since earlier this month, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the discussions had “stalled” in recent days.
“I will be clear, France is a friend and an ally of the United States,” Macron said during a speech in Singapore on Friday. “And [France] is a friend, and we do cooperate, even if sometimes we disagree and compete, with China.”
The French president went on to warn the U.S. and China that if the two economic superpowers continue their tariff war, “we will destroy, methodically, all the institutions we created after the Second World War in order to preserve peace and to have cooperation on health, on climate, on human rights and so on.”
“We are neither China nor the U.S., we don’t want to depend on any of them,” he added. “We want to cooperate. But we don’t want to be instructed on a daily basis what is allowed, what is not allowed and how our life will change because of the decision of a single person.”
What People Are Saying
Right-wing influencer Benny Johnson reacted to Trump’s advice to Macron, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Another instant Trump classic,” along with the laughing emoji.
Russell Brand, an actor and comedian who was charged with rape last month, weighed in on the video of Brigitte Macron shoving her husband, writing on X: “They’re DESPERATELY trying to bury the fact that Brigitte smacked Macron. Nothing says ‘power couple’ like a slap to the face on an airplane.”
What Happens Next
Macron will continue his tour through Southeast Asia as part of his broader efforts to counter the U.S.’s and China’s influence in global trade.
Update 5/30/25 4:37 p.m. ET: This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.