US President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in France soon for the G7 summit, but before he steps down the runway, a long history of his harsh words stands to greet him.The seven leaders gathered at Evian-les-Bains were all on the receiving end of Trump’s wrath, or found themselves having to navigate his most combustible moments with apparent discomfort.“It’s no different than a family gathering on holiday where there’s an uncle you don’t quite like,” said Max Bergman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “No one wants confrontation, even if things get quite aggressive. But there’s always the possibility that things could blow up.”
United Kingdom: Keir Starmer
Trump has succeeded in insulting the British Prime Minister and British martyrs in the space of a few months.When Starmer initially refused to allow US military aircraft to use a British base in the Indian Ocean to bomb Iran, Trump made harsh comments against Starmer, saying: “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.”When the UK later placed the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on advanced readiness for a possible deployment to the Middle East, Trump lashed out on social media, saying: “We don’t need people joining wars when we’ve already won!”Trump also told Fox News that NATO allies stayed “a little bit off the front lines” during the war in Afghanistan, a claim that was widely condemned as false. Starmer described the comments as “frankly insulting and appalling”, and joined veterans and politicians from across the British political spectrum in calling for an apology.
Prince Harry said the sacrifices of those who served “deserve to be spoken about with honesty and respect.”
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Canada: Mark Carney
Trump has been openly supportive of Canada’s annexation since returning to office, regularly suggesting it should become the 51st state and referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney as “Governor.”The most intense talks came at Davos in January, when Carney condemned great powers’ coercion against small nations, and Trump responded by telling the crowd that “Canada lives because of the United States.”
“Remember that, Mark, next time you make a statement.”Carney declined to respond, calling Trump “an exceptionally active user of social media.”
France: Emmanuel Macron
During an Easter brunch at the White House, Trump brought up widely circulated footage showing Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face away as they landed in Vietnam. He told guests that Brigitte treated Macron “very badly” and that the French president was “still recovering from his right jaw.”
Macron then said the couple were joking and described the comments as “inelegant and inappropriate.”
“On trade, Trump regularly regales audiences with supposed conversations with Macron, imitating the French president with an exaggerated tone.
Italy: Giorgia Meloni
Last October, Trump described Meloni as a successful and beautiful politician at the post-Gaza summit in Egypt. The relationship transformed after Italy refused to help the United States in the Iran war and after Meloni criticized Trump for his feud with Pope Leo XIV.Trump then said: “Do people like her? I can’t believe it. I thought she had guts. I was wrong.”
Japan: Sanae Takaishi
During her first visit to the White House, a Japanese reporter asked why Trump had not warned allies before attacking Iran. “Who knows surprise better than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, okay?” Trump responded, with Takaishi standing beside him.This observation resonated greatly in Japan, where American presidents have long avoided any harsh references to the 1941 attack, choosing instead to emphasize the depth of the postwar alliance.
Takaishi, a hardline conservative, let the comment slide and received a mixed reception in Japan for her silence.
Germany: Friedrich Merz
Merz angered Trump in April when he said that the United States was being “humiliated” by Iran and that it had entered the war without a strategy. Trump responded on social media, asking the chancellor to focus on “ending the war with Russia and Ukraine” and “fixing his broken country, especially immigration and energy.” Days later, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 American soldiers from Germany, and Trump hinted that the withdrawal might go “much further.”
“When Mears visited the White House last year on the eve of D-Day, Trump interrupted him, saying that D-Day was “not a fun day for you.” The Chancellor reminded him that it also represented “the liberation of my country from the Nazi dictatorship.” Trump admitted that he had a point.