Macron hits back after Trump mocks French president for being slapped by his wife
In a rant about France, Trump described Macron as "recovering from the right to the jaw"
Emmanuel Macron has bit back at Donald Trump after the President mocked him for being slapped by his wife as tensions between the US and Europe continue.
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The French leader said Trump's comments were "neither elegant nor up to standard" after he brought up a video which emerged last year, appearing to show Mrs Macron pushing her husband in the face as they prepared to board a flight.
Mr Macron told reporters in South Korea: "I am not going to respond to them, they do not deserve a response. What we must do is work towards de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the resumption of negotiations.
"We are talking about matters of grave importance. We are talking about war, about the men and women fighting on the front line, about the men, women and civilians who are being killed."
Trump hit out at France on Thursday for not helping the US efforts in the Middle East and delivered a personal swipe about his marriage.
Last year a video emerged appearing to show him getting pushed in the face by his wife.
During an Easter lunch at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said: "Then I call up France, Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly, he's still recovering from the right to the jaw.
Read more: Starmer says UK must get closer to Europe as households brace for price rises from Iran war
"And I say 'Emmanuel, we'd love to have some help in the Gulf, even though we're setting records in knocking out bad people and knocking out ballistic missiles, we'd love to have some help.
"Could you please send ships immediately.'"
Mocking a French accent and intimating Macron's reply, Trump added: "No, no, no, I cannot do that Donald, we can do that after the war is won."
The President's comments have sparked outrage in France, even drawing criticism from Macron's biggest rivals.
Manuel Bompard, coordinator of the hard-left France Unbowed party, told broadcaster BFMTV: "You are aware of the extent of my disagreements with the president, but for Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner.
"I find that absolutely unacceptable."
The verbal spat comes as Trump continued his threats to pull out of NATO on Wednesday. Asked if he was thinking about pulling out of the alliance, the President told Reuters: "Oh, absolutely without question. Wouldn't you do that if you were me?"
During a speech from the White House in the early hours of Thursday, the President vowed to end the Iran war within "two to three weeks" before telling allies, including Britain, to take the Strait of Hormuz themselves.
Oil prices have spiked and shares have tumbled following the speech.
He also pledged that he was going to send Iran "back to the Stone Age, where they belong" with new strikes in the region."