French leader uses Otto von Bismarck quote, saying ‘It’s best not to see them being made,’ when asked about CNN report on ‘terrible’ phone call with US leader
French President Emmanuel Macron listens as Israeli Prime Minister speaks during a joint press conference after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 5, 2018. (PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron isn’t disclosing details of his phone call last week with US President Donald Trump, after an unnamed source told CNN television it went badly.
Macron instead repeated the famous line attributed to 19th century German statesman Otto von Bismarck about laws and sausages: “It’s best not to see them being made.”
The French leader told reporters Tuesday he doesn’t like to comment on “how things went, if that’s hot, if that’s cold, if that’s warm, if that’s terrible. We do (things) and we move forward.”
He promised a “frank and direct discussion” with Trump at an upcoming summit in Canada.
The French presidency says Macron told Trump during a call last week that new US tariffs on European, Mexican and Canadian goods are illegal and a “mistake.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
US President Donald Trump speaks following a meeting on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC June 1, 2018. (SAUL LOEB/AFP)
An unidentified source told CNN that “Macron thought he would be able to speak his mind, based on the relationship. But Trump can’t handle being criticized like that.”
The result, the source said, was “Just bad. It was terrible.”
Advertisement
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNationstreaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
