President Donald Trump warmed up to French President Emmanuel Macron inside the White House on Tuesday by reaching in to dust off dandruff from his suit "to make him perfect."
"We have a very special relationship. In fact, I'll get that little piece of dandruff off, that little piece," Trump said while taking four swipes at Macron's shoulder. "We have to make him perfect. He is perfect."
Trump on Macron: “We have a very special relationship, in fact I’ll get that little piece of dandruff off…we have to make him perfect, he is perfect.” https://t.co/GGsfve3KYB pic.twitter.com/vzV2Dech86
— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) April 24, 2018
Macron reacted with a wide smile toward Trump that did not tip off whether he was thankful or offended.
Related: Who is Brigitte Macron? How France's 'First Lady' Has Compared to Melania Trump
Earlier in the morning, the two presidents gave their remarks during Macron's arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn.
Trump delivered an overwhelmingly positive speech, praising France for being the United States's oldest ally and partnering in an airstrike on Syria earlier this month.
"Let the U.S. and France stand together forever," Trump concluded.
Macron, meanwhile, was slightly less upbeat in his remarks following Trump. He expressed gratitude for the longtime friendship his country has had with the U.S., but also touched on their differences including trade, the environment and the elephant in the room—the Iran nuclear deal.
"It is together that we shall build a new form of prosperity for all people, which means innovation, free and fair trade, and the protection of our middle classes," Macron said. "It is together that we will be able to act effectively for our planet."
Macron called the Iran deal "important" for regional strategy.
"We have to take it as a part of the broader picture of security in the region," the French president said in English.
However, Trump maintained his stance against the Obama-era 2015 deal, which he has adamantly opposed because it did not address Iran's involvement in Syria and Yemen or ballistic missiles.
"It's insane, it's ridiculous, it should have never been made," Trump said. "But we'll be talking about it."
Trump's next deadline to waive U.S. sanctions against Iran, as he's done in the past, is May 12, and a focus of Macron's three-day visit is to convince him to do so.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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A Los Angeles native, Jessica Kwong grew up speaking Spanish, Cantonese and English, in that order. Her journalism career started ... Read more
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