Macron Visits WH Only to Get Slapped Around Oval Office
Macron drops by
White House staff rearranged the schedule on Monday, February 24, to accommodate French President Emmanuel Macron. They couldn’t snub him completely so welcomed him into the Oval Office with smiles and open arms.
Once there, they sat him in a comfortable chair out of everyone’s way and continued the work of making America great again.
I’m a little busy today but it’s great you dropped in, Trump told Macron by way of greeting. Can we get you anything? Let’s let the press take some pictures and we’ll have a chat but excuse me for a moment while I talk to my staff.
The French president was anxious to corner Trump to find out if the rumors he’s splitting Europe with Putin have any basis to them. President Trump sidestepped the issue completely.
In veiled and polite diplomatic language, Trump made it clear that Europe needs to step back until they can figure out how they can pay their NATO bill. Meanwhile, he urged Macron that his time would be spent in a more valuable way by thinking of ways to avoid pending trade tariffs.
The subject of efficiency came up when the press quizzed the president about Elon Musk’s recent demand for a productivity report email from all federal workers. A “great idea,” Trump commended. “There was a lot of genius in sending it.”
Two interactions with the media
Trump was gracious enough to allow Macron two separate opportunities to score sound bites for the reporters at home to quote him on. He didn’t have much to say but said it with flair and conviction. The first interaction with the media happened in the Oval Office as the French president got the opportunity to see Trump in action in his natural habitat.
The second was “a more formal news conference – at which they spoke at length about Russia’s war in Ukraine.” The day was the third anniversary of the invasion, as China was sure to remind Russia.
After sipping mineral water at the White House for a couple hours while Trump took calls and fielded questions from the press, Macron took a podium to announce that he and Trump made “substantive steps forward” on Ukraine. He’s just not sure what they are. He emphasized “their shared desire to build peace.”
He also went on record to declare “that peace won’t happen if Kyiv is forced to surrender.” He then backed the rare earth deal. He praised Trump’s “decision to work with President Zelenskyy, and to conclude this agreement that’s so important for the U.S. and Ukraine on rare earths, critical minerals.”
When it came time for Trump to take the microphone, he confirmed Macron agrees with him on “many of the most important issues.” He made sure to underscore that includes agreement that “this is the right time to end the war.” There’s even a chance that Ukraine could “perhaps” recover some of its Russia-occupied land.
That won’t be easy, Trump added for the benefit of Macron. Europe and Zelenskyy aren’t making it any easier by questioning his deal. He verified that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would accept European troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine.“
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