World Leaders to Trump: We DEFY You

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This week was a bit of a nightmare for Donald Trump.

The US President became increasingly bad-tempered throughout it, as the Mueller probe continued to close in and he faced the realisation that his political opponents, the Democrats, will soon have the power to thoroughly investigate him in Congress.

But there was another, equally significant source of frustration for Mr Trump. Other world leaders who had previously been content to suck up and stroke his ego openly defied him.

It was a clear signal. They weren’t scared of him anymore.

Last weekend, Mr Trump travelled to France to commemorate the anniversary of the World War I armistice. It was supposed to be a dignified and sombre trip, as Mr Trump and dozens of his counterparts paid tribute to the sacrifices of the fallen.

Instead, Mr Trump was drawn into an international spat as he traded barbs with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Macron had called for the creation of a “true European army”.

“We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America,” he told Europe 1 radio.

“When I see President Trump announcing that he’s quitting a major disarmament treaty which was formed after the 1980s Euro-missile crisis that hit Europe, who is the main victim? Europe and its security.

“We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army.

“We need a Europe which defends itself better alone, without just depending on the United States, in a more sovereign manner.”

Shortly before arriving in Paris, Mr Trump tweeted that Mr Macron’s comments were “very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO”.

Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted European countries need to contribute more money to NATO.

Mr Macron and Mr Trump have previously got on fairly well, with the French President frequently stroking his counterpart’s ego. There was little of that warmth on display when they met in Paris. Mr Trump’s body language was particularly cold.

Then Mr Macron issued a less-than-subtle rebuke of Mr Trump’s politics during a speech marking 100 years since the end of the First World War.

“The old demons are rising again, ready to complete their task of chaos and of death,” Mr Macron said.

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism.

“In saying, ‘Our interests first, whatever happens to the others,’ you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it live, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important — its moral values.”

Mr Trump has described himself as a nationalist, and frequently uses the pejorative “globalist” to refer to people who disagree with his views.

“You know what a globalist is, right? A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly, not caring about our country so much,” he said at a rally ahead of the midterm elections earlier this month.

“We can’t have that. They have a word, it sort of became old-fashioned. It’s called a nationalist. Really, we’re not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I’m a nationalist, OK? I’m a nationalist. Use that word.”

Mr Trump clearly noticed Mr Macron had taken a shot at him.

Later in the week, after returning to the United States, he lashed out on Twitter, mocking Mr Macron’s “very low approval rating” and claiming there was “no country more nationalist than France”.

Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018

The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%. He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!........
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018

......MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018

Far from backing down, France responded by slapping down Mr Trump for launching his tirade while the French were mourning the anniversary of the 2015 terror attacks.

“We were commemorating the assassination of 130 of our compatriots three years ago in Paris and Saint-Denis, and so I will reply in English: ‘Common decency’ would have been appropriate,” a French government spokesman, Benjamin Griveaux, said.

France was not alone in defying Mr Trump this week.

Through sources from the British government, the world learned Mr Trump had berated British Prime Minister Theresa May on the phone as she argued with him about the Iran nuclear deal, among other subjects.

And German Chancellor Angela Merkel, another leader who has previously humoured Mr Trump’s personality quirks, publicly backed Mr Macron’s view on the idea of a European army.

“We should also work on the vision of one day creating a genuine European army,” Ms Merkel said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Trump “retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment” throughout the week, withdrawing from public events and spending most of his time holed up inside the White House.

“He’s furious,” one official told the newspaper. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.”

Mr Trump snubbed the US president’s usual Veterans Day trip to honour fallen soldiers at Arlington Cemetery, a short 3km drive from the White House.

He chose not to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan, leaving Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to deal with him.

He sent Vice President Mike Pence to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, which would normally be attended by the president himself.

In short, Mr Trump grew increasingly angry and isolated — as other world leaders teamed up against him in a brazen display of defiance.