President Trump Criticizes France Over Taxation and Questions US-France Relations in Fox News Interview

United States:

President Donald Trump unexpectedly criticized France during an interview with Fox News on Monday, stating "we've had a lot of problems with the French."

When Fox News host Laura Ingraham raised concerns about Chinese students at American universities, commenting, "they're not the French, they're the Chinese. They spy on us. They steal our intellectual property," Trump interjected with a surprising comparison.

"Do you think the French are better, really? I will tell you, I'm not so sure," Trump responded.

The US president, engaged in an ongoing trade conflict with China, has maintained a physically demonstrative relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, characterized by firm handshakes, mutual back-patting, and knee-touching during photo opportunities.

Last September, Macron personally called Trump to inform him that his presidential motorcade was blocking Macron's path on a New York street as the French leader hurried from UN headquarters to a meeting.

Despite appearances of camaraderie, tensions have occasionally surfaced between the leaders, with Trump notably opposing Macron's recognition of a Palestinian state and climate initiatives.

Trump has also pressured European nations to increase their NATO defense spending, with Macron participating in Europe's multi-faceted diplomatic efforts to maintain Trump's support for Ukraine's defense against Russia.

During the Fox interview, Trump pivoted from discussing China to criticizing France's taxation policies, claiming they unfairly impact the United States.

"We've had a lot of problems with the French where we get taxed unfairly on our technology," Trump asserted.

Previously, Trump threatened "substantial" additional tariffs on countries implementing "discriminatory" digital taxes.

These remarks emerged as Ingraham questioned Trump about his administration's inconsistent policies regarding foreign students.

In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington would "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students."

However, several months later, Trump stated that the country would permit 600,000 Chinese students to "come in."