Donald Trump “does
not have a high opinion
” of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron despite the ostensible marks of friendship displayed by the two leaders during their first meetings, believes John Bolton, the president's former national security adviser American.
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"
He does not have a high opinion of him
", he declared Monday, October 19 on RTL radio on the occasion of the release of his explosive book, "
The play where it happened: 453 days in the Oval Office with Donald Trump
”.
“
Macron tried to flatter Trump.
This is a strategy that has often worked.
But I don't think Trump let himself be impressed by Macron,
”he added.
Manly handshake
Taking the opposite view of many European counterparts, Emmanuel Macron had first multiplied the honors and the courtesies towards the President of the United States.
But his bet has hardly paid off, from Iranian nuclear power to the international climate agreement.
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The relationship between the two leaders seems first to have been defined by a manly handshake of 29 seconds during their first meeting in May 2017. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron then displayed their good understanding during a state visit of the French President in Washington in April 2018. During this sequence, President Trump dusted a film, perhaps imaginary, of the jacket of his guest.
For John Bolton, it was “
exactly a game of superiority
”.
The former adviser, now very critical of Donald Trump, reiterated that he would not vote for him on November 3 after "
the damage he inflicted during his first term
".
“
He's a 'looser' (loser).
He sees the world divided between losers and winners and he's falling into the wrong camp,
”said John Bolton.