Trump and insults to leaders, from Macron to Starmer to Prince bin Salman
The US president repeatedly mixed political criticism and personal ridicule, from the anecdote about Macron to provocations towards Starmer and Bin Salman
Recently, the language of US President Donald Trump towards certain foreign leaders has returned to the centre of international attention, not for geopolitical criticism, but for jokes, mockery and personal insults that have soured already tense relations.
The Macron case and the joke about his wife
The case that provoked the strongest reaction is the one concerning the French President Emmanuel Macron. At a private lunch hosted at the White House, the US president commented in a mocking tone on French reluctance to engage militarily alongside the United States in the war against Iran, adding that Macron is being treated 'extremely badly' by his wife Brigitte and that he is still recovering from an alleged blow to the jaw he received in a viral episode in 2025. Macron called these words, accompanied by a parody in a French accent, "neither elegant nor up to the mark", adding that such comments do not merit an official response.
Starmer in the crosshairs: irony over British leadership
In parallel, Trump addressed the same ironic tone to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, calling his behaviour "weak and uncertain", especially on the British role in the Strait of Hormuz crisis. The US president also mimicked Starmer by claiming that the prime minister would have to 'ask his team' before committing British aircraft carriers to the conflict. The comment irked officials in London and raised concerns about the resilience of the transatlantic relationship.
Bin Salman and the metaphor of submission
But the insults are not limited to the West. In a recent public appearance Trump also addressed stinging words to the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, using figurative expressions unusual for a diplomatic confrontation and saying that the leader of Riyadh "didn't think he should kiss my ass; now he has to be nice to me" because of the current balance of power between the US and Saudi Arabia. The comment, reported by multiple news sources, uses a crude metaphor to describe the Saudi kingdom's perceived subordination to Washington and has attracted criticism because it is portrayed as a form of public humiliation towards a key ally in the Gulf region.
Nicknames and nicknames: an established communicative tradition
Since the beginning of his political career, Trump has made the use of irreverent nicknames and biting phrases to describe foreign leaders one of his rhetorical trademarks. In past years, he has addressed nicknames such as 'Animal Assad' to Bashar al-Assad, 'Rocket Man' to Kim Jong-un and 'Juan Trump' to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He also referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with such unconstitutional epithets as 'Governor Trudeau'.
