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highplainsdem

(60,349 posts)
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 03:05 AM Yesterday

Trump Floats 200% Champagne Tariff and Reveals Macron's Text

Source: Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump took a swipe at French leader Emmanuel Macron for rejecting an invitation to back his latest peace initiative and suggested he could impose a crushing tariff on champagne in retaliation.

"Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," Trump told reporters Monday local time, after being informed Macron would decline his invitation. "I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join," he added.

-snip-

Trump wants the full constitution and remit of the Board of Peace signed in Davos on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter. But other invitees are also skeptical.

Alongside France, the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, as well as Canada, are all set to decline Trump's invitation to take part, according to people familiar with the thinking in their capitals.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-19/macron-to-decline-trump-s-invitation-to-join-his-peace-board



The text was of Macron's private message to Trump, which included some flattery, which Trump apparently wanted the world to see, just as he wanted the world to see some flattery in a note from the head of NATO. And Trump also posted an AI picture demeaning to the European leaders and Greenland and Canada.

From an article about this in the Independent:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-message-macron-greenland-denmark-b2903641.html

French President Emmanuel Macron told U.S President Donald Trump that he could set up a meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday afternoon, according to screenshots of messages sent by Macron to Trump that were posted by the U.S. president on Truth Social.

-snip-

The apparent message in full read: "My friend, We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran. I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things: 1) i can set up a g7 meeting after Davos in Paris on thursday afternoon. I can invite the ukrainians, the danish, the syrians and the russians in the margins 2) let us have a dinner together in Paris together on thursday before you go back to the us. Emmanuel."

Trump also shared an AI image of him talking to European leaders in The White House with the American Flag over Greenland.

-snipping to get to the private message from the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte-

It read: "Mr. President, dear Donald - what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible. I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine. I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can't wait to see you. Yours, Mark"


That disgusting AI image - which you can see in the Independent's article - shows Trump in the Oval Office, addressing the European leaders as if they're underlings, and in the background is a map of North America showing not just Greenland but Canada as well covered by the American flag.

Editing to add a screenshot of Trump's Truth Social post with that AI slop image. The map has Venezuela covered by the American flag as well.

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump Floats 200% Champagne Tariff and Reveals Macron's Text (Original Post) highplainsdem Yesterday OP
Europe - Keep on groveling and placating the fascist madman ....and you'll find yourself.... Bread and Circuses Yesterday #1
I was sorry to see Macron and Rutte using flattery in those private messages. highplainsdem Yesterday #2
Me too, I hope their just buying time whilst they load bombs under their fighter jets... Bread and Circuses Yesterday #6
Yes, that's what they are doing MadameButterfly 23 hrs ago #11
Yes, they seem to be displaying more grit now. Very good to see Bread and Circuses 12 hrs ago #19
Keep on groveling to him, and.... lastlib Yesterday #9
Best shot at preventing the much anticipated celebration when slob croaks? SheltieLover Yesterday #3
It won't work. Chemical Bill 22 hrs ago #13
Nope it won't work. SheltieLover 21 hrs ago #14
Mine is Taittinger's. Aristus 21 hrs ago #15
dear Europeans, be like Nancy and JUST SAY NOOOOOOOOOO nt msongs Yesterday #4
We WILL have champagne BidenRocks Yesterday #5
Soooo... 2naSalit Yesterday #7
It's hard being an American in Europe these days DFW Yesterday #8
Well-Stated, sir! lastlib Yesterday #10
Seriously. I work in a pub. róisín_dubh 5 hrs ago #20
Though I've never been there myself DFW 5 hrs ago #21
Europe needs to kidnap TSF ala Maduro and take him to the Hague. sinkingfeeling 23 hrs ago #12
"I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join." Grins 18 hrs ago #16
Convicted criminal mob boss. Period. Evolve Dammit 14 hrs ago #17
French wine maliaSmith 13 hrs ago #18

Bread and Circuses

(1,656 posts)
1. Europe - Keep on groveling and placating the fascist madman ....and you'll find yourself....
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 03:16 AM
Yesterday

Completely humiliated and defeated when he demands MORE Tribute and Gifts.

This is a mobster running a protection racket.

It never stops. Until It IS Annihilated.

There’s no middle ground , no talking , no peace. ONLY Total subjection . Wake UP.


MadameButterfly

(3,802 posts)
11. Yes, that's what they are doing
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 08:04 AM
23 hrs ago

They can't give up Greenland because they were too proud to praise a man who they despise. It's well known that Trump is easily manipulated by flattery. Let's wait on getting mad until they give in on something substantive. Which they won't.

lastlib

(27,640 posts)
9. Keep on groveling to him, and....
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 07:40 AM
Yesterday

you'll have results similar to 1939, the last time Europe grovelled to a fascist madman.

"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got."

SheltieLover

(77,298 posts)
3. Best shot at preventing the much anticipated celebration when slob croaks?
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 03:31 AM
Yesterday

🍾🥂🍾🥂🍾🥂🍾🥂🍾🥂🍾🥂

2naSalit

(100,357 posts)
7. Soooo...
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 05:06 AM
Yesterday

What if the EU countries decide to arrest his sorry ass and deliver him to The Hague?

Wouldn't that be nice?

DFW

(59,784 posts)
8. It's hard being an American in Europe these days
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 05:55 AM
Yesterday

The questions come hard and fast and there are no answers.

“Is he really going to put all these tariffs in place?”



“Will he really attack Greenland or Canada?”



Will the USA really try to occupy Venezuela?



You know he’s certifiable. Will the Republicans or his cabinet EVER consent to his removal?



Will you ever again have a president like Clinton or Obama or Biden? Or is your country finished as a world leader? Don’t you have anybody there who can inspire the population AND take a more sane direction?



I’m rapidly running out of answers. Which way to the Bastille?


lastlib

(27,640 posts)
10. Well-Stated, sir!
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 07:43 AM
Yesterday

"Storming the Bastille" may be our only hope for deliverance from this evil. I HOPE it doesn't come to that, but I fear the worst.

róisín_dubh

(12,244 posts)
20. Seriously. I work in a pub.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 01:46 AM
5 hrs ago

Everyone know I’m from the US and the questions and comments- good Lord.

One of my mates suggested I take accent lessons…

We were in Türkiye for several weeks and I just let my partner speak for me most of the time we were out in town or shopping. I got a lot of questions from Brits, Germans and the Turkish staff. It was exhausting.

DFW

(59,784 posts)
21. Though I've never been there myself
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:43 AM
5 hrs ago

I had several Turkish friends while in college, and there are several million “Turks” in Germany. Not all those of Turkish nationality are ethnic Turks, of course. My best “Turkish” pal in my town outside Düsseldorf is an Alawite Kurd, whose language is related to Kurdish, sort of like German and Dutch, but is not so close as to be mutually intelligible, such as Swedish and Norwegian. He is fluent in Turkish because there were no schools in Alawite Kurdish where he grew up. He has taught me a few phrases in his language, but it is not a written language as far as I know, so I have no reference to fall back on. My friends in college taught me enough Turkish to pass for one for about 15 seconds. Then my vocabulary runs out. But apparently my accent is convincing. I once met a Turk at the cashier at a Cape Cod supermarket. He was speaking in English with some other guys from around the Middle East. I spoke my few words if Turkish to him, and he asked me where I was from. I said right here, USA. He said, “oh sure you are. I think you’re another Turk who speaks really good English.” It took me another minute to convince him I wasn’t.

Grins

(9,288 posts)
16. "I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join."
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 12:50 PM
18 hrs ago

Trump, the fuckin' cut-rate Corleone. Only without the Don's charm and finesse.

maliaSmith

(154 posts)
18. French wine
Tue Jan 20, 2026, 06:42 PM
13 hrs ago

I don't drink, however, California and other wine making states make great champagne and it's reasonably priced. Expensive French champagne is mostly drunk by rich people, the kind that support Trump. No big loss.

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