President Trump spent the weekend in France [1], to commemorate Armistice Day. During his trip, the president was scheduled to visit Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial. The cemetery visit was scheduled to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of World War I.
President Trump canceled his visit to Aisne-Marne because it was raining. In a statement, the White House said the visit was canceled due to “scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather.”
The official Twitter account for the French Army mocked the president’s decision to skip the ceremony honoring the fallen. The French Army tweeted writing, “There is rain, but it’s not serious. We stay motivated.”
#MondayMotivation [2] Il y a de la pluie, mais c'est pas grave ???? On reste motivé ???? pic.twitter.com/29hOJ9ITF0 [3]
— Armée de Terre (@armeedeterre) November 12, 2018 [4]
The tweet from the French Army was not the only criticism the president received for skipping the ceremony. British politician and Winston Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, tweeted writing, “They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen.”
The president’s trip to France was marked by humiliation. He was criticized for skipping the ceremony because of rain and was chastised for his nationalist views. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a harsh rebuke of nationalism while speaking in Paris.
In Paris, Macron said, “Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism.” He continued, “Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests first … we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace, and what is essential: its moral values.”
Macron’s statements seemed a pointed and direct refutation of President Trump’s “America First” agenda. Trump has alienated some of the nation’s closest allies since he took the oath of office. He has attacked NATO and its leaders and suggested that the NATO alliance should be abandoned. His alienation from European allies was on full display in France this weekend.
Twitter is loving it:
I'm old enough to remember when Americans made jokes about the French Army… Now, thanks to Trump, the French Army is openly mocking the US Commander-in-Chief ❄️????️ https://t.co/aD7aLvh13D [5]
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) November 12, 2018 [6]
OMG. This is an epic level of trolling from the French Army. My rough (very basic level of French) translation: "There is rain, but no matter. We stay motivated" ????????????????
.@realdonaldtrump [7] is a complete embarrassment. #VeteransDay18 [8] https://t.co/NLJqeCDAC4 [9]
— Arti (@ajpeddakotla) November 12, 2018 [10]
Low Energy Trump cant even handle a few raindrops. French Army mocking how much of a wuss Trump is. #veteransday [11] #macron [12] #gop [13] https://t.co/3uJE2Q1UTF [14]
— Far Gone (@FarGoneer) November 12, 2018 [15]