Amid a feud with European leaders who did not urge a Nobel Peace Prize for him or endorse his sudden enthusiasm to take over Greenland, President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne.
Specifically, Trump said he was considering it because French President Emmanuel Macron declined his invitation to join his proposed “Board of Peace,” to oversee a cease-fire between and Israel and Hamas and supervise the rebuilding of Gaza.
Critics worry the board could undermine the United Nations, of which Trump is not a fan.
Trump has already imposed a 10% import tariff on products from France and other countries for opposing his Greenland takeover bid. And all of this led Macron to allude to Trump as a bully.
“We need more stability in this world, but we do prefer respect to bullies ... and we do prefer rule of law to brutality,” Macron said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He added: “We do prefer rule of law to brutality.”
Macron also called for an end to Trump's existing tariffs. “It doesn’t make sense to have tariffs and be divided, and even to be threatened now with additional tariffs.”
Led by the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the "Board of Peace" has invited 60 nations to join for a $1 billion contribution. The way the president envisions it, the group would comprise world leaders, with him acting as chairman.
CBS News reported more than 10 countries have signed on to join, though only five — United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Morocco, Hungary and Canada — have publicly accepted his invitation.