Trump in Paris calls Macron's EU army proposals 'insulting'

Remember when we had a president that didn't run around acting like the low-IQ grade school bully? Just two painfully long years ago.

the leadership from many countries will be there, especially since they heard the United States will be there.

Of course, WORLD War commemorations are all about the US...

What a warm, personal and charming man the US president is said no one ever.

“perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly!"

Right. Don’t those freeloaders know that the USA is the gaurantor of NATO?

If the roles were reversed and it was Trump who had said that the US needs to build up its military to counter the China, Russia, and the EU (a close ally), I wonder what the reaction would have been?

What Macron said was objectively ill-advised and ridiculous. If I were American I might even find it a bit insulting. You don't need to be a Trumpster to recognise and acknowledge this.

Macron suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia.

Really? What was Macron thinking? Macron actually added the capitalist U.S. to a list of aggressive communist countries run by what are essentially dictators? The U.S. might buy a couple of E.U. member countries, but there is no reason to think the U.S. would need to rescue Europe from invasion. Again.

In spite of the ridiculous things Trump says sometimes I would have to agree that Macron did not think things through before adding the U.S. as a reason for the EU to build up a military.

I agree also that if Trump said something like this and included the EU with China and Russia the media and most of the world would be outraged.

So amusing Mr Macron - the USA already subsidies NATO, Macron has already cut the French Military budget by around $1billion Euros, Why does he make the comment "to protect itself from the US" is he referring the fact that mass migration from the Middle East and Africa will over take the native European population and doesn't want a return of "Europe for Europeans".

For Sunday's anniversary, Trump was to join world leaders at a ceremony in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe.

"It should be a very beautiful period of time, the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I.

Actually Donald, it should not be a "beautiful" time but rather one of sombre reflection over the millions, yes tens of millions of young men, who died in a senseless war.  One no doubt, had you been around,  you would have been a hero in if it wasn't for your troublesome bone spurs.

I'm all for the EU building up their Army. Would love to have all the American military there come home. Then more NATO funding would naturally shift to the EU too.

Seems like a win-win to me.

Of course, allies still need to train together often enough to prevent misunderstandings from getting people hurt or worse.

Someday, the world won't need huge armies to keep the main trouble-makers in check, but it will be after the world's population stops growing yearly.

Macron's comments were silly but not entirely irrational if you follow the money. France's massive military industrial complex (Dassault, Aerospatiale, Airbus EADS, DCNS/Naval, Thales etc etc) have always been annoyed that European militaries continue to buy American arms rather than switching to domestic EU alternatives. Driving a wedge between the US and EU makes great business sense for them, but it's not in the interest of ordinary EU citizens.

I always predicted WW3 would be China/Russia vs. NATO. Now think it could China/Russia/Europe vs. America.

Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, said Friday in Paris that the U.S. was concerned about stability in Europe --

"Like the stability we have in our ... uh ... um ... no, never mind."

Right. Don’t those freeloaders know that the USA is the gaurantor of NATO?

Macron is suggesting that if theyre forced to pay a higher percentage of their GDP on defence then why not build your own in the EU and have EU personnel instead. US having bases in the EU isnt solely for the benifit of the EU, US benefits greatly from it also

Europe needs to stand strong against the WH and the Kremlin. If this means conflict (and I sincerely hope it doesn't) at least we are prepared.

Sounds crazy? You bet it does and we've unfortunately allowed events to spiral out of control. Authoritarian far right ideology is in the ascendant and this bodes darkly for us all.

Personally, I haven't felt this worried in decades.

US having bases in the EU isnt solely for the benifit of the EU, US benefits greatly from it also

Yep. It adds to the USA's $20T national debt. Not the sort of benefit I'd like. The US military expenditures are much too high. I have full confidence in the EU's ability to have sufficient force available to prevent "evil empires" from crossing over their borders, except with contact bio-weapons.

NATO has and continues to guarantee the peace in Europe, the EU is just a political exercise in undemocratic, central planning, that is already failing. While I have little time for the buffoon Trump, one thing he is right on and it has been said (though some what less offensively) by US presidents of all political persuasions for some time is that the major European allies have not pulled their weight in NATO. Of the major countries only the USA and UK have met their obligations. The fact that the German parliament is concerned that their armed forces are incapable of fielding even a fraction of their purported strength speaks volumes.

the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I. We have many countries — the leadership from many countries will be there, especially since they heard the United States will be there.

You know, France lost well over 10 times the number of soldiers as did the U.S. in WWI. There are times to tout America’s sacrifices to a greater good, and there are times to defer and recognize the sacrifices of other players. This is one of those times.

Although I disagree with Macron’s manipulation of this occasion, it’s on his turf, not Trump’s.

WWI was a horrible and useless waste. No one should look on it trivially. Macron included.

Macron, the new kid on the block, wants relevance. But the US remains the boss.

Europe has to protect itself “with respect to China, Russia and even the United States,” Macron said in interview.

Whatever he means it, but the NATO, EU members need to build up strong Military by themselves to defend instead of relying on the US military power. It is not right and the EU members must spend more money on defense. The Europe, the NATO members has been relying on the US military power since WWII.

Now most of the EU member states are a wealthiest country on the earth.

Why they don't want to spend money for to defend their own countries.

Trump cancelled a trip to the American cemetery at Belleau on the 100th anniversary of the Armistice - because rain might get his hair wet. Trump has no respect for the troops or the military. A weak, snivelling coward - and his supporters will lavish praise on him for it.

Chop chop, sadly for you like most things it is not so simplistic as that, some NATO countries are comparatively wealthy but not all, not all have “relied on” US strength and bear in mind it has been considerably to US advantage as well.

You really have to get a grasp of political reality, and ubderstand that there is a difference between EU and NATO, they are totally different organisations with different membership and to serve wholly different purposes.

Trump is the only reason Macron thought to add the US to the list. And as an American I know from Trump's own behavior he wants to have carte blanche as the "leader" of the US. The people, the government, and the military are supposed to bow down to his every whim and want in his mind.

Well, Italy rejected to be involved in this French project. We don't want to send our young people to fight to defend French interests.