President Trump used Twitter Sunday to extend a hand to France’s new president-elect, Emmanuel Macron.
President Trump used Twitter Sunday to extend a hand to France’s new president-elect, Emmanuel Macron.
‘Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!’ Trump wrote.
Macron easily sailed past rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s run-off election between the 39-year-old centrist and the far-right candidate, often compared to Trump.
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Exit polls showed Macron besting Le Pen 65.5 percent to 34.5 percent.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer quickly followed up Trump’s tweet with his own statement of congratulations.
‘We congratulate President-elect Macron and the people of France on their successful presidential election, ‘ Spicer wrote in a statement to reporters.
‘We look forward to working with the new President and continuing our close cooperation with the French government, ‘ Spicer said.
While Trump’s predecessor, President Obama, endorsed Macron for French president, Trump didn’t technically endorse a candidate, though he flirted with Le Pen.
Speaking to the Associated Press last month, before the first round of French voting, Trump called Le Pen, the leader of the Front National, the ‘strongest’ of the candidates.
Trump said that while he wasn’t ‘explicitly endorsing’ Le Pen she was ‘strongest on borders, and she’s the strongest on what’s been going on in France.’
‘Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders, will do well in the election, ‘ Trump said.
