US President Donald Trump on Monday brushed off remarks attributed to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron indicating he would not join an international Board of Peace aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict, responding with a threat of steep tariffs.
"Did he say that?" Trump asked as he spoke to reporters after attending the National Championship Game for College Football in Miami, Florida, when asked about his response after Macron refused to join the US-led initiative.
"Well, nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," he said, asked about reports that Macron intends to decline the invitation from Trump to join the board.
Trump suggested that if the reports prove accurate, he may "put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join."
"He doesn't have to join. I mean, if he said that — you're probably giving it to me a little bit differently — but if he actually did say that," he added.
French broadcaster BFM TV cited sources close to Macron on Monday, reporting that the French leader does not plan to accept Trump's invitation to join the Board of Peace, citing concerns that the initiative goes beyond Gaza and could undermine the principles and structure of the UN.
On Friday, the White House announced the formation of the board to "play an essential role in fulfilling" 20 points of Trump's plan to permanently end Israel's war on Gaza and rebuild the enclave, as well as "providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development."
The US also formed the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to implement phase two of Trump's Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, a founding Executive Board, and a Gaza Executive Board to support the transitional framework.
Trump has invited additional heads of state and government to join the board, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
