French President Emmanuel Macron joined President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for a formal diplomatic engagement, in which the two discussed substantive foreign policy issues, including Russia and Ukraine and held a news conference, taking questions from reporters.
Some of Trump’s comments prompted mockery, while others made Macron laugh.
Among the comments that caught the internet’s attention: Trump’s tangent about Fort Knox.
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“We’re actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there. Because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tons of gold,” Trump said, as Macron laughed.
Elon Musk brought up the issue last week, “Who is confirming that gold wasn’t stolen from Fort Knox? Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not.”
“You’re laughing? We’re going to Ft. Knox to see if the gold is there because maybe somebody stole the gold, tons of gold, and you’re laughing??” asked Lawfare’s Anna Bower.
“Amazon executives pitching a Goldfinger remake,” wrote journalist Jeremy Fassler.
St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Jace Frederick posted a fake conversation he had with his wife.
“Me: ‘gonna go to the bank and see if our important documents are still in the safety deposit box.’ Wife: ‘why?’ Me: ‘because maybe somebody stole them,'” wrote Frederick.
“They faked a bomb threat at an undisclosed school. Then when all the police were occupied they stole the gold. …..Oh wait, that’s Die Hard with a Vengeance,” said criminal defense attorney Will Conway.
In another moment from the news conference, Macron said Russia was the aggressor against Ukraine, contradicting Trump’s assertion of the opposite last week, when he told the Ukrainian president, “you should have never started it, you could have made a deal.”
“Mr Putin is not going to like this at all. Wonder if Trump will be recalled to Moscow for consultations,” pondered the Huffington Post’s S.V. Dáte,
At another point, Macron fact-checked Trump’s claims.
Trump said Europe hadn’t stepped up to help Ukraine the way the U.S. had, and that Europe’s funding was loaned, not outright given.
“Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back,” said Trump.
Macron touched Trump’s arm lightly before “fact-checking him to his face,” as podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen remarked on X.
“No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort,” said Macron.
The grassroots political organization Really American pointed out: “Watch Trump’s embarrassed expression. This is how it’s done.”
“Macron, just demolished Donald Trump in the Oval Office while supporting Ukraine,” commented artist Candee Corliss.