Nato summit 2019: World leaders appear to mock Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace reception
Footage from last night’s reception at Buckingham Palace for the Nato summit appears to show world heads of state mocking Donald Trump.
The coverage shows a conversation between Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian premier Justin Trudeau and Princess Anne.
Read more: Nato summit 2019: Trump-Macron tensions mar 70th anniversary of alliance
When Johnson asks Macron why he was late, Trudeau says: “He’s late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.”
The line seems to be a reference to the French President’s testy earlier press conference with Trump, in which the two leaders sparred on issues such as Nato’s role, Turkey, and Islamic State fighters.
Previously Trump also hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron following Macron’s comment calling Nato a “brain dead” organisation.
Trump has threatened to hit French imports with tariffs following France’s decision to implement a digital tax on US tech giants.
“France is not doing well economically at all, they are struggling,” Trump said. “It’s a tough statement to make when you have such difficulty in France.”
Referencing the yellow vest protests, Trump added that it was “disrespectful” of Macron to criticise Nato with such unrest in France.
“No-one needs Nato more than France,” he said.
Later on in the footage, Trudeau adds: “You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.”
Princess Anne is also trending on Twitter this morning after further footage appeared to show her refusing to greet the US President.
Trump’s first day in London was characteristically eventful. In a freewheeling impromptu press conference with Nato secretary general Jens Stollenberg, Trump covered everything from the NHS to North Korea.
On Labour accusations that the US had demanded the NHS be on the table in trade talks, he said: “I don’t even know where that rumour started. We have absolutely nothing to do with it and we wouldn’t want to if you handed it to us on a silver platter, we want nothing to do with it.”
He also dropped a considerable bombshell regarding the US’ trade deal with China, saying: “In some ways I want to wait until after the election for a China deal.”
Read more: FTSE slumps as Donald Trump says China trade deal could wait until 2020
The FTSE plunged along with global markets on the back of the comment, shook investors whose nerves had already been frayed by the President’s decision to slap tariffs on Brazil and Argentina yesterday and his threat of 100 per cent tariffs on certain French goods.
World leaders are in London to mark the Western military alliance’s 70th anniversary.